


Dalton Academy Chimeras: Einfallen

by Basileus_Monomakhos



Series: Dalton Academy Chimeras [11]
Category: Dalton Academy Series, Glee, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dalton Academy, Alternate Universe - Glee Fusion, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Dalton Academy, Dalton Academy Warblers, Dancing and Singing, Historical References, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Multilingual, Music, Musical References, Musicals, Mythology References, New York City, References to Canon, Rent References, Singing, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25439497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basileus_Monomakhos/pseuds/Basileus_Monomakhos
Summary: After their glorious victory in the national show choir championship, the Warblers were on the top of the world.But everything has an end. With almost all of their most talented performers became seniors, the future of the team was more obscured than ever.For Theo Raeken though, he just wanted a not so dramatic senior year and a future in New York City. But even that was questioned now.Sequel ofDalton Academy Chimeras.
Relationships: Aiden/Lydia Martin, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Ethan/Danny Mahealani, Ethan/Jackson Whittemore, Julian Larson-Armstrong/John Logan Wright III, Julian Larson-Armstrong/Sebastian Smythe, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Lydia Martin & Jackson Whittemore, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nick Duval/Jeff Sterling, Theo Raeken/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Dalton Academy Chimeras [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1318634
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. Ein

**Author's Note:**

> Notable vocal casts:
> 
> Jackson Whittemore : Colton Haynes  
> Theo Raeken : Michael Arden  
> Stiles Stilinski : Andy Mientus  
> Sebastian Smythe : Grant Gustin  
> Logan Wright : Hunter Parrish  
> Wes Montgomery : Telly Leung  
> Julian Larson-Armstrong : Antonio Banderas  
> Jeff Sterling : Riker Lynch  
> Nick Duval : Curt Mega  
> Reed Van Kamp : Nick Blaemire  
> Thad Harwood : Eddy Martin  
> Dwight Houston : Stark Sands  
> Clark Sawyer : Adam Pascal  
> Raven Woods : Ben Fankhauser  
> Sinclair Langdon : Christian Borle  
> Michael Collins : Zac Efron  
> Corey Pearson : Benj Pasek  
> Nathan Miller : Lucas Steele  
> Cameron Pike : Taylor Trensch  
> Patrick Wilson : Blake Jenner  
> Reginald Smythe : Matt Bomer  
> Jon Hall : Jon Robert Hall  
> Bailey Tipton: Dominic Barnes  
> Austin Sterling : Ross Lynch  
> Elliott Gilbert : Adam Lambert  
> Lydia Martin : Idina Menzel  
> Danny Mahaelani : Will Chase  
> Aiden&Ethan Steiner : Jonathan Groff  
> Isaac Lahey : Skylar Astin  
> Scott McCall : Anthony Rapp  
> Allison Argent : Melissa Benoist  
> Malia Tate : Nicole Kidman  
> Kira Yukimura : Catherine Zeta Jones  
> Brett Talbot : Michael Esper  
> Josh Diaz : Aaron Tveit  
> Corey Bryant : George Salazar  
> Nolan Holloway : Jeremy Jordan  
> Liam Dunbar : John Gallagher Jr.  
> Tracy Stewart : Vanessa Hudgens  
> Mason Hewitt : Jesse L. Martin  
> Erica Reyes : Fredi Walker  
> Derek Hale : Norbert Leo Butz  
> Cora Hale : Renée Elise Goldsberry  
> Deucalion Louping : Hugh Jackman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any illusions about an uneventful year was shattered when a certain someone arrived at Dalton Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name means 'one' in German.

Julian Larson-Armstrong slammed his car door shut. He wore a pair of large sunglasses on his face, that was to conceal his identity. Being one of the most famous people on the planet clearly had its disadvantages.

Just three days ago, he finished his last shooting as a part of the cast of _Something Damaged_. He liked the other cast members, but he knew he would leave the cast sooner or later. For one, he's not a main cast member, and according to his contract he would only be in the show for two seasons. Moreover, for more practical reasons, he does need a high school diploma.

And that's the problem. Unsurprisingly, those relentless paparazzi found out where he was supposed to be studying and caused chaos there. So naturally he needed a more secure school.

So here he was, in the middle of nowhere, in front of the main building of Dalton Academy.

He heard of this school before, from... someone he'd rather forget. He never actually thought of what would happen if he meets him here. But the past was in the past, Paris was already behind him. He shook his head, as if to shake the idea out of his mind.

He observed the scene in front of him. Boys in navy and burgundy uniforms, buildings with the atmosphere of grandeur, and the first autumn leaves on the trees.

So this will be his lovely, lonely, heavenly world. Julian took a deep breath and walked towards the main building.

* * *

Logan Wright paced along the hallway of Dalton Academy, through a sea of navy and burgundy.

He walked pass by the double door leading to the senior commons, further down the hallway. He almost slammed into two boys close to the sports centre.

"Theo." He acknowledged with a sharp nod. The lead vocalist of the Warblers was a senior like him, and he knew Theo was supposed to be touring the campus with some random freshman. He then took a glance at the other boy.

Liam Dunbar. His mind supplied. That guy who was rejected by Vocal Adrenaline last year and said he may join Dalton this semester. And now judged by the uniform apparently he's a Dalton student.

"Logan! Didn't expect to see you here." Theo replied, and then turned towards Liam, "Liam, you remember Logan."

"Of course." Liam said politely, "Nice to meet you again."

"My pleasure as well." He extended his hand for a shake, their sights met in a casual manner.

Just one glance, he was sure he saw something in Liam's eyes, something he's more than familiar with.

He locked his gaze at Theo for a brief moment, wondering whether that guy realized or not.

But if Theo hasn't, it's not really his story to tell, at least not in public now. He thought as he stopped himself from talking.

"You're on a campus tour?" He asked instead.

"Yes, we just saw the tennis court." Liam said eagerly, "Theo said he wants to show me the auditorium next."

"Speak of campus tour, Logan, I thought you signed up for the campus guides as well?" Theo asked.

"I did. Actually I'm on my way to collect that new guy. Spoiler alert, he's someone special."

"By special you mean..."

"Him." Logan replied simply.

"Really?" Theo asked with surprise.

"Yes, him. Probably because I haven't seen his works so I won't freak out the moment I see his face."

"Anyway, good luck dealing with our new resident superstar."

"Thanks." Logan left the other two behind and resumed his travel.

"Wait, who is that 'him' you're talking about?" He heard Liam asking.

"Well, it's a long story..." Theo explained as his voice faded away.

Well, let them talk, it's not like the whole school won't know before sunset.

He took a turn, walked past the sports centre, and stopped in front of the principal's office to knock.

"Come in please."

"You want to see me, principal?" Logan said politely as he closed the door behind him.

"Ah yes, Mr. Wright." The principal of Dalton Academy, Elizabeth Ramsey, replied elegantly, "I assume you remember what we discussed about earlier."

"I do, principal Ramsey."

"Well, Let me introduce you to Mr. Julian Larson-Armstrong." She gestured towards a lean boy sitting opposite to her.

* * *

Julian followed the handsome blonde boy out of the principal's office. He doesn't know what he was feeling. Should he be happy that it's not him who's leading him on the campus tour? Should he trust this guy, even if the principal seemed to trust him? Would the other students be crazy fans of him?

"Where's your suitcase?" Logan suddenly asked, shook him out of his thoughts.

"They're in my car." Julian replied.

"I'll find someone to help you moving in." Logan promised, "But first, let's finish the tour."

He took a turn left and motioned Julian to follow.

"This is a locker room, are you sure it's fine to walk straight into it?" Julian questioned.

"It's not opened until the school formally started, there's no one in here." Logan said as he travelled confidentially through the labyrinth of lockers.

"First, this is the sports centre of Dalton. We have a wide variety of sports here, like fencing, polo, basketball, lacrosse..." Logan introduced as he led Julian into a large gym, "Oh, by the way, Dalton curriculum required you to practice a sport, it's mandatory, so you'd better think of something soon."

"Do you have a tennis court?" Julian asked.

"Of course, this way." Logan pushed open the back door of the gym and led Julian out of the main building, they were now facing the tennis courts directly, "Here they are. You play tennis?"

"It's my favourite sport actually."

"I play tennis as well, maybe someday we could play together."

"Of course." Julian nodded, then he noticed the larger field further away, "What is that?"

"That's the racecourse and jousting list." Logan answered, "We hold jousting tournaments each year. And we also have a polo team."

"I never ride a horse before." Julian admitted.

"Really? Well, it's not rare nowadays, you're more than welcomed to try, but only under the presence of a coach." Logan then turned back towards the building, "The fields for lacrosse, basketball and soccer are on the other side of the gym, you can see the door from here." He said as he closed the door behind Julian, "The pool and the fencing strip is further inside, but for time reason we won't be visiting there for now. Let's go to see the classroom now."

"Wait, one more question. Do we have a preassigned locker here?"

"No, you'll get a random one given by the computer system whenever you need to use the sports facilities, you just need to swipe your student ID at the main entrance, and a key will be given to you by the machine." Logan explained.

He then led Julian through the locker room again, and walked along the hallway, but just as the hallway turned right, Logan walked forward into a small staircase.

"This, and another similar one on the other side of the building are fire escapes, we don't use here very often, but sometimes it's a shortcut." Logan explained as they ascended the stairs.

They then travelled along a long corridor with various classrooms on both sides, and with a large set of bronze lockers embedded in the walls, until Logan stopped at that large spiral staircase. A glass dome high above the stairs allowed the sunlight to shine into the building, a chandelier hanging from the centre of the dome all the way down below where they were standing, and several large mirrors decorated the wall under the dome. Behind him on the other side of the hallway, another smaller spiral staircase crept up into the darkness above.

"This is the main staircase." Logan explained, "And the stair behind us leads to the clock tower. If you don't want to be disturbed you could go up there, usually no one would be there."

He then gestured Julian to follow him through a similar hallway on the other side, and stopped in front of another stair. This must be the other fire escape stairway.

"Now, please be quiet, this stairway leads right into the school library." Logan reminded him, "Although the school haven't officially started yet, there are students studying down there. Dalton students care a lot about their education, striving for excellence in one way or another. In Dalton Academy, A means average."

"How could I survive here? I can't spend that much time on school because, you know, I actually have a job!" Julian exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I believe the school board know your situation already, they probably would just ignore your grades altogether."

Is that even legit? Julian wanted to ask but stopped himself in time. It was his mother who sent him here, so she must have ways to let him graduate.

Instead he followed Logan down into the library. He was then greeted by an impressive scene: a huge array of bookshelves spanning towards the far side of the room, each of them filled with books, a number of them were antique tomes, but there're more modern books as well. On the other side, a long table occupied the centre of his vision, a dozen or more figures in blazers were seated there already. Further away, a large wooden door was on the wall behind it.

"That's the main door leading to the main hallway, but we'll leave from here." Logan whispered in his ear. He led Julian striding along a corridor to a small backdoor, which revealed a large garden after he quietly opened it.

"This is the school clinic. On your left side, that building is the dorm for students with special needs, thus located closer to the clinic. On your right side, that part of the building further away is the staff's lounge." Logan said as he led Julian through the beautiful garden, almost reaching the door of the clinic before taking a sharp turn left, around the tip of the main building into another garden.

He followed Logan through the herbs and flowers, took a right turn at the end of the track and entered another building.

"This is where the laboratories are located." Logan explained, "Chemistry labs are on the first floor because they're the most dangerous. Biology on the second and physics on the third."

"Could we go into a lab?" Julian asked curiously.

"No, not now. We need a teacher to give us access." Logan replied as he led Julian through the empty corridor and opened the heavy steel door at the end of it for him, "This way."

Julian observed the scene before him. The most conspicuous feature was a majestic mahogany grand piano in the centre of the spacious hall, and to his left, a long table split the wide corridor in half, several pots of plants was set on it, the marble floor glimmered under the autumn sunlight shining through the French windows, stretching towards a dark oak double door.

"This is the art centre." Logan introduced, "There're many art classrooms and workshops behind that door, but I think we don't have enough time to go inside today." He looked apologetically towards Julian.

"It's fine, you could take me here another day." Julian smiled.

"I'd like to." Logan replied, "Now, let's go to the main courtyard. Before we leave, see that door on the far side of the hall? It goes to the library as well. Follow me."

Logan then took a right turn. Julian realized that what he thought of as a French window was actually a well-designed glass door. He followed Logan outside, to a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle. As Julian looked around, he can't help but noticed a majestic building situated on a small hill further away, the autumn sun shining above it.

"What's that?"

"Ah, that is a dorm. We'll get back to that later." Logan explained, "But first let's go here."

They walked across the courtyard, climbed up a large marble stairway leading to the entrance of a large building. Logan pushed the door open, revealing a large auditorium, with dozens of rows of seats descending all the way to the stage down below.

"This is our auditorium. It's one of the few places that can hold the entire student body inside. So it's usually reserved for school-wide events, like performances, assemblies, ceremonies, public lectures, anything like that."

They then turned left, behind a curtain separating the corridor with the main hall, and then took a right turn at the end of the route. They seemed to be following the outer rim of the building. Soon they took another left turn into a staircase, which soon levelled into another corridor. Only a few steps away, there's a doorway of a spacious room. Logan led him into that room, in which there must be a hundred chairs or even more.

"This is probably the most modern-looking place in Dalton, aside from the labs of course." Logan commented, "This is supposed to be the green room backstage, but nowadays the Warblers usually hold rehearsals here."

"The Warblers?" Julian wondered out loud.

"I forgot to mention that? Okay, my fault."

"So... What exactly is the Warblers?"

"Simply put, the Warblers are Dalton's a cappella show choir. Basically we're the star team of Dalton, because of our long history and various achievements, and we enjoy many privileges. For example we're the only group that could modify the school uniform." Logan explained, pointing at a badge pinned on the lapel of his blazer, depicting the image of a singing canary.

"You are a part of the Warblers?"

"Yes, and I was the lead vocalist, but I resigned last year."

"Is he better, the guy replacing you?" Julian asked curiously.

"Well, he did lead us winning the national championship, so he's definitely not horrible." Logan answered, although Julian could tell he's a bit reluctant to do so, as he changed the subject suddenly, "Come on, let me show you where we usually hold impromptu performances."

He led Julian back into the corridor, and just a few steps in front of them the corridor ended with a wooden door. Logan fished out a set of keys from his back pocket and unlocked the door.

Behind it was a medium-sized room, to his right there's a large bookshelf covering the entire wall, on it placed many books, with a quick glance Julian could tell they were mostly musical theory reference books and sheet music collections. And in the corner of the room, there's a small glass cabinet, in which sat a large trophy.

He wanted to ask about that, but Logan left the room already, and he has to follow. He stepped into a large common room, and he realized that the room he was in was just the back chamber of this commons. Just one glance, Julian was amazed by the designs of the room, from the fine wooden floor to the antique upright piano in the corner. Logan sat on one of the leather sofas in the room, and motioned Julian to sit beside him.

"This room was supposed to be the senior commons, and is still formally named as such, but in reality this place is occupied by the Warblers, and is nicknamed, the Warblers' Hall." He stopped talking as the heavy wooden door suddenly cracked open, and a lean boy stepped into the room.

"Reed? Why are you here?" Logan asked.

"Oh gosh you're on a campus tour, right? I thought there's no one here, so I decided to come here to find some sheet music." Reed answered. He took a step backwards and almost tripped on the doorstep, if not for Logan suddenly dashed towards him and managed to stabilise him. Wait a minute, could he be...?

"It's okay, we are leaving soon." Logan explained, and turned towards Julian, "Julian, this is Reed Van Kamp, a junior member of the Warblers. Reed, of course you know who Julian is."

He's not wrong. Well, this is awkward, what if Reed says something like "I saw you wearing my designs during Oscars." or "Do you get along with my brother?" which he has no clue how to answer in front of a half-stranger?

Thankfully, Reed seemed to have no intention of letting his secrets out, he only stared at him for a few seconds before smiled widely, "Welcome to Dalton, Julian, I'm sure you'll like here."

I'm currently dubious. Julian thought. Besides He-who-shall-not-be-named, there's another acquaintance he needs to worry about.

"Come on, let's go." Logan nudged him on his arm. They left the room, walked along the main corridor into the hall, took a door behind the grand spiral staircase and re-entered the fountain courtyard. They're now facing that dorm building on a hill. Logan then led him along the main track towards it, until they stopped before a garden, in which grew both flowers and vegetables.

"This is the science garden. For biology experiments and sometimes the astronomy club." Logan said as he followed the trail into the garden.

Julian followed Logan closely, but also took his time looking around. He noticed for the first time a small paved track to his right. The track travelled along the edge of the garden and ended at another door leading to the labs.

"The lab building has many exits in case of emergencies. Also this route makes performing biology experiments easier" Logan explained. Apparently he noticed Julian looking around.

"And here's the last part of the tour: dorms." Logan said as he stopped in the middle of the garden and gestured Julian to sit beside him on a bench, the autumn sun warming up their faces, "To our south, that building on a small hill is the dorm for the upperclassmen."

"Upperclassmen?" Julian interrupted," I thought there would be... Sorry, please continue."

"You think we'd be split into houses with perfects and house heads and all those private school shenanigans?" Logan smirked, "We had those decades earlier, but now those houses were long gone, even before my father graduated Dalton."

"And these dorms," Julian gestured around, "Does that means there were three houses in Dalton? Did your father told you anything about them?"

"He never talked about this, but from what I gathered they were named after British royal houses. You know, like Wessex, Angevin, Tudor, Stuart..." Logan slowly hummed, "Maybe I could look that up later, if you really want to know."

"You don't have to."

"I'd like to do that, it's fine. Actually I can't believe I haven't thought of looking these up yet." Logan said, "Now for another important aspect of the school life, you probably noticed that we don't have a cafeteria area, instead there's separate dining halls inside these two dorms. The Warblers go to the upper-class one simply because it's closer."

"Wait, the Warblers don't live with other students?" Julian asked curiously.

"Remember what I said about Warblers' privileges? A separate dorm is one of them. Look to our west, is what we called the Warblers' den." Logan turned towards a smaller building, a bit further away compared to the other two.

"The Warblers' den?" Julian echoed. Then that dorm furthest away in the east must be for the underclassmen.

"The official name is the west wing. It was supposed to be a dorm for students with special needs, but afterwards they redesigned the building south of the clinic for that purpose. The place became a storage space before the Warblers requested to move in."

"I don't think there're that much people in the Warblers."

"No, we only occupied a part of the building, most of the second floor is still makeshift warehouses." Logan said as he moved toward the dorm building, "Actually your room is here as well."

Julian let himself followed Logan along the long trail towards the dorm. As they reached the marble portico of the building, Logan took out a small key card and pressed it against a panel just below the door handle. A beep emitted, and Logan turned the handle and pushed the door open. The interior of the dorm building revealed themselves to him.

He can't help but marvel at the art pieces hanging on the walls, the Greek columns, the Victorian style furniture and the elegant hues of the whole decoration.

In the middle of the hall was a long table, two boys, one with chestnut hair and one with blond hair, sat by the table, a book in front of them but was apparently ignored, since they were clearly making out.

Logan cleared his throat. The boys jumped into the air, separated and turned their heads towards the newcomers.

"Logan!" The blonde one exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Campus tour."

"Oh, right, yes, of course, how could I forget." The brunette one replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Nick Duval."

"Jeff Sterling." The blonde continued, "Hope we are not intimidating you too much."

"Oh, definitely not. Julian Larson, but I think you know that already." Julian replied.

"All the formalities aside." Logan chimed in, "Julian need you two to help him with his suitcases. I'll lead Julian to his room first, so be here in fifteen."

"Okay, captain." Jeff winked, "We just need to... prepare, yes prepare." Then the couple and their belongings disappeared through a door on his left side.

"I doubt they could be here in fifteen minutes." Julian said.

"Me as well. So now we can take our time to introduce the dorm." Logan then gestured around, "This is supposed to be the dining hall, but as we'll go to the other larger dorms for meals, this space acquired more functions, like a study room. The actual study room in design is there." He pointed at a larger door on the far side of the second floor, "But that's partially abandoned and became a small library instead. On the other hand, we still have a functional kitchen here, right below the study room. If you enjoy cooking, you could use it, but you also have to do all the cleanups afterwards, and expect your final product being shared among the Warblers."

"Can't cook that well, so it's not exactly my worry."

"Ah, those who are expecting Julian Larson's biscuit would be disappointed." Logan smirked, inciting a smirk of his own, "Let me show you your room now, don't keep Niff waiting for too long or they might slip away."

They climbed up a stairway on the side of the hall to the second floor and followed along the open corridor, until they stopped in front of a door, with the number 202 elegantly engraved into it.

"This is your room. More precisely, our room."

"I'm rooming with you?"

"Temporarily. I know you requested a single room, but currently none are available. So the school board put you here, with the Warblers." Logan replied, "Don't worry, superstar, the school is trying to arrange you a single here, so you don't have to tolerate me for too long."

"No, actually I have no problems with a roommate, I just have a huge collection of fashion accessories, too large for an average dorm room closet." Julian corrected him, "But why here? Does the school want me to join the Warblers?"

"No, it's an act of security actually. You see, the Warblers already knew you're coming to Dalton, so there won't be a fanboy freaking out or accidental twitters to bother you. We know you would like privacy."

"Wait, what do you mean by, the Warblers already knew I'm coming?"

"Well, I take that you remember Wesley Montgomery."

Julian nodded. Of course he remembered that Asian guy who would be playing Aladdin in the upcoming movie. They met once in a cocktail party, and became close friends with each other.

"He's a Warblers alumni, so..."

Very good, Wesley, you are a dead man.

But on the other hand, he somehow was glad that Wes told the Warblers. As of now, every Warbler he saw was friendly but not acting like crazy fans. He suspected some of them may actually be his fans, so he appreciated their efforts greatly. Especially Logan, who treated him not as a celebrity, but like any other ordinary guy. For that, he won't mind to get to know that guy more.

"Would you come in and see your room?" Logan's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, of course." He answered and walked into the room. The room was spacious and cosy, with carpeted floor and wooden furniture.

"The bed on the left side, also every furniture on the left side of the room is yours. But I suggest you don't fully unpack, you would move into your single no longer than a week."

"I can't fully unpack anyway. My mother forced me to pack a whole closet of clothes." Julian complained, "I can't even wear most of them, because they're those so-called Julian Larson trademarks, and no one was supposed to know I'm here."

"Let's hope it stays that way. None of us wants an army of paparazzi storming Dalton to find you."

"I really hope as such." Julian grunted.

"And this is your keys." Logan fished a set of keys out of his pocket, "The bronze one is for the room, you have to return this to the principal as soon as you get your single, and you'll get a new one for your single from her. The smaller silver one is for your lockers, the number on the key is your locker number, and you can find yours among those I showed you. This small card is for the dorm entrance, you just saw me using it."

"Thanks." Julian nodded as he took the keys and placed them in his pocket.

"And finally, as all boarding students have, curfew. Dalton curfew is ten on weekdays, and eleven on weekends. Although there's rarely staff members checking the dorms, the key card stopped working between curfew time and six in the next morning, so if you're late theoretically you'll be locked out of the dorm. Inside the dorm however, you could stay up as late as you want, we have a constant supply of coffee for that purpose." Logan said, "Speak of coffee, besides the coffee machines in the dorms, we have a decent campus café by the library, I'll show you where it is when we go get your luggage."

"Noted. But if I am actually locked out, what will happen then?"

"Well, we do have a private solution for this." Logan smirked at the question, "There'll always be someone studying in the main lobby, at least before midnight, so you could tap on the window thrice, and tell whoever inside your name, and that someone will open the door for you."

"That's a bit complicated, but must be secure. I'll try my best not to break the curfew though."

"Don't worry if you have to bother anyone to get back in, some of us have a tendency of breaking curfew and was sneaked in countless times."

Yeah, just like him.

"About other basic rules, we'll talk about those when we come back. If we want to have lunch at normal time we have to hurry up." Logan said and led him back downstairs, "We'll get your luggage, put them back here and show you the lunch."

As they descend into the main hall, Julian soon noticed that Nick and Jeff were not there, however, two other guys were.

"Theo, Liam, I..." Logan greeted, drawing their attention. One of them opened his mouth in surprise upon seeing them.

"Oh my god, you are..."

"Liam, we talked about this." Theo placed his hand on top of Liam's mouth to stop him from screaming out loud.

"I know, Theo, and I'm sorry, but I guess having a world-renowned superstar in your dorm is something I was not ready to believe."

"I don't think I need to introduce Julian to you then." Logan said sarcastically, "Julian, this is Theo Raeken, the lead vocalist of the Warblers; that rude guy with him is Liam Dunbar, a fresh... recruit."

"Nice to meet you in person." Liam said.

"It should be an interesting year." Theo added.

"I really do hope so." Julian replied.

"Okay, introduction finished, so why are you here?" Logan then asked.

"I think Liam would like to audition for the Warblers." Theo explained.

"I'm definitely going to audition." Liam confirmed.

"Maybe you will, but remember we won't take in more than a few guys a year, and there could be more than fifty guys audition. There's stiff competitions every year."

"I will do my best, and then you'll see if I'm worth being a Warbler."

"We shall see." Logan smirked in response.

"But if you do get in, you'll have to move in here, right?" Julian asked.

"Indeed. There should be two spare beds here, since two Warblers graduated last year. I know there's one in my room." Logan said.

“I heard Corey complaining about 'some random freshman' he has to live with." Theo said, "There must be a spare bed in his room."

"And who are you rooming with?" Logan asked, "They didn't put Sebastian with you, right?"

Julian flinched.

"No, of course not. I'm with Reed this semester." Theo replied. Apparently nobody noticed him acting strangely, thank Gaga, Julian thought as he silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"So that means if you are moving in, you would be rooming with Corey." Logan said to Liam.

"I thought there's a place in your room?" Theo asked.

"Not now. Julian would be staying there for a while, before the school cleaned out a single here." Logan explained.

"They still haven't finished cleaning that room? It's not like them to spend so long."

"I don't know why, but principal Ramsey told me it'll be done in a week."

Julian let himself drift away with his thoughts. His first day here, it could've been better, but also could've gone worse. He's now living in the same building as Sebastian Smythe himself, which is far less than ideal, but if Sebastian actually holds his side of the agreement, they would be fine.

Although, if there's anything he could be sure of, it's that Sebastian doesn't have any reputation for honouring an agreement.

"Julian?"

"What?" Julian nearly jumped in surprise.

"You have to show us your car." Logan said with Nick and Jeff standing behind him, then seeing Julian's confused face, he added, "We need to get your suitcases here, remember?"

"Oh, yes, I do, follow me please."

Just having every day like this isn't too bad. Julian thought. Here I am, and here may I enjoy.

* * *

"The council call this meeting into order." The familiar sound of the gavel hitting the desk. A brand new year began at last.

"First, we have something to announce." Corey stood up.

"As you all know, during last year, we failed to make several important decision, weren't able to guide you in the direction you wished, and we consider ourselves couldn't represent the mainstream in the group. So we would like to announce our resignation." He announced to the others.

A wave of surprised gasp rang through the room.

"You can't do this now!" Reed protested first, "If you want to resign, you should have said so last semester."

"We understand it's a bit late to announce such a thing..."

"A bit?" Nick interrupted, "You gave us no sign or hint about this, and we are completely unprepared!"

"Yeah, this is definitely not a standard procedure for resignation." Jon agreed.

"We could hold a vote for this matter, but even if you are protesting now, most of you would prefer us to leave our position." Nolan said calmly.

"We're not discussing this, we're questioning your timing." Jeff argued.

"Enough. If this is their wish, we have to respect that." Logan suddenly said.

"Fine." Theo said, "But at least tell us who are your successors."

"We want to hold an audition for the new council." Nolan replied. This time, more noise of disbelief erupted in the room.

"The council was never generated from any audition." Jon pointed out, "They were always designated by their predecessors. It's a part of the Warblers' traditions."

"An unreasonable one, plausibly." Sebastian shot back, "We've changed a lot over the years, who can say any of those traditions are less worth keeping than others? We have to change when we need one."

"But the council is not composed of the best singers, instead it provides us with the leadership skills of the members. I can't see how an audition could help us choose them." Reed argued.

Josh banged the gavel to silence the noise.

"A vote." He said, "Anyone in favour of electing the new council by audition?"

Slowly most of the Warblers raised their hands, though some were reluctant.

"Then it's settled. Anyone who wish to audition please sign your name here." Nolan said.

"Wait a minute, council members, I have a suggestion." Theo stood up, "We could also hold this audition for the new lead soloist as well. It's an honour to serve you all, but as I always say, we need new voiced to be heard."

"I take that you want to audition for the council." Sebastian said, his eyes fixed on Theo like a hawk.

"Yes, but that not my point."

"Okay, let's hold a vote. Anyone agree with Warbler Theo's suggestion?" Josh said.

This time the agreement was reached much more smoothly, with every hand shot into the air swiftly.

"Motion passed." Another strike of the gavel, "So anyone who wish to audition for council positions or lead soloist please sign your name here."

With that, Sebastian stood up first and signed his name. Reed hesitated a while, but ultimately signed up as well. Theo then signed his name on the paper.

"You should try out, you know." Nick said to Jeff, who nodded nervously, but signed his name nonetheless.

Finally, Logan signed his name, and returned to his seat.

"To keep this audition short, everyone should sing only two or three verses." Nolan suggested as nobody else signed up.

"Agree." Sebastian said, "That's enough to show the skill of the singer, also their abilities to find and arrange songs fitting for themselves."

"Anyone objects?" And as no one voiced their objection, Nolan continued, "So it'll be our rule. This meeting is officially over. You could start to prepare for your audition now, which would be held during our next scheduled meeting."

As Niff and Reed dashed for the sheet music, Theo decided to wait for a while, until that small room was less crowded. He turned around and walked towards the door, and his gaze briefly fell upon Sebastian's face as he took a turn into the hallway.

Just in time to see a victorious smirk on that face. He knew that smirk. Sebastian was planning something, but what?

* * *

"Without further ado, let's start the official audition now." Josh said as he banged his gavel twice.

The first one to sing was Logan. He apparently chose a more classical approach as the famous notes written by Leonard Bernstein himself began to flow from the speakers.

_There’s a time for us_   
_Someday a time for us_   
_Time together with time to spare_   
_Time to look, time to care_   
_Someday!_   
_Somewhere_   
_We’ll find a new way of living_   
_We’ll find a way of forgiving_   
_Somewhere_   
  
_There’s a place for us_   
_A time a place for us_   
_Hold my hand and we’re halfway there_   
_Hold my hand and I’ll take you there_   
_Somehow_   
_Someday_   
_Somewhere!_

He was met with enthusiastic applause as he finished the last note.

"That's more like the Logan I remembered." Reed whispered under his breath next to Theo.

"As beautiful as ever." Nick commented, "Classy, typical Warblers' style."

"Thanks." Logan nodded lightly, and left the front to the next auditioner: Sebastian.

The meerkat stood up with his trademark smirk on his face, moved to the front in a confident stride, and plugged his iPod into the speaker.

"Great choice." Logan whispered when the music started.

_It's strange but it's true, yeah_   
_I can't get over the way you love me like you do_   
_But I have to be sure_   
_When I walk out that door_   
_Oh, how I want to be free, baby_   
_Oh, how I want to be free_   
_Oh, how I want to break free_

_But life still goes on_   
_I can't get used to living without, living without_   
_Living without you by my side_   
_I don't want to live alone, hey_   
_God knows, got to make it on my own_   
_So baby, can't you see?_   
_I've got to break free_

"The song fits you well, Sebastian." Nick complimented amidst the cheers.

"Thanks." Sebastian replied coolly and returned to his seat, and throw a confident smirk at him.

It's his turn now. Theo stood up to face the other Warblers. He chose a harder song for this audition, and he really hoped he won't blow it.

_When I was twelve my father moved out_   
_Left with a whimper, not with a shout_   
_I didn't miss him, he made it perfectly clear_   
_I was a fool and probably queer_   
_Fool that I was, I thought this would bring_   
_Those he had left closer together_   
_Well, she made her move_   
_The moment he crawled away_   
_I was the last the woman told_   
_She never let her bed get cold_   
_Someone moved in, I shut my door_   
_Someone to treat her_   
_Just the same way as before_

_I took the road of least resistance_   
_I had my game to play_   
_I had the skill, and more, the hunger_   
_Easy to get away_   
_Pity the child with no such weapons_   
_No defence_   
_No escape from the ties that bind_   
_Always a step behind_   
_I never called to tell her all I'd done_   
_I was only her son_

Everyone clapped enthusiastically when he finished the song.

"You probably should have sung this instead of that _RENT_ medley in Nationals." Reed said with wide eyes.

"And you nailed those insanely high notes!" Sebastian can't help but marvelled, "That was flawless."

"Wow, I must be dreaming." Theo joked, "Sebastian Smythe, in his flesh and blood, complimenting me?"

"Don't get used to it, chihuahua." Sebastian shot back with a grin.

"That was a bold choice. But overall you did an amazing job performing the song." Corey commented.

"And shouldn't we let our next singer perform?" Nolan suggested.

Jeff stood before the group. He's apparently a bit nervous, but Theo could relate to him, the first time he sang a solo he almost had a heart attack.

Although that had much to do with Logan's wrathful glare back then.

_God, I hope I get it!  
I hope I get it  
I've come this far, but even so  
It could be yes, it could be no  
How many people does he...?  
I really need this job_

_Who am I anyway?_   
_Am I my resume?_   
_That is a picture of a person I don't know_   
_What does he want from me?_   
_What should I try to be?_   
_So many faces all around, and here we go_   
_I need this job_   
_Oh God, I need this show_

Jeff chose to sing a shorter part than others, but the song choice fitted him perfectly, and his voice had this boyband charm in it. He definitely deserved more solos, or duets with Nick perhaps.

"Dance. Brilliant." Sebastian commented.

Reed came up the last. He chose to sing another Broadway classic, not his usual style, but still complimented his skill well.

_I am frightened by the crowd_   
_For we are getting much too loud_   
_And they'll crush us if we go too far_   
_If they go too far_

_Listen, Jesus, to the warning I give_   
_Please remember that I want us to live_   
_But it's sad to see_   
_Our chances weakening with every hour_   
_All your followers are blind_   
_Too much heaven on their minds_   
_It was beautiful, but now it's sour_   
_Yes, it's all gone sour_

The Warblers cheered at the last sustaining high note.

"That's great!" Jon said, "Never thought you're so good a singer."

"Now, it's time to vote. I take that you all know our voting procedure." Josh said as he passed pieces of paper to the Warblers.

Soon, the votes were gathered on the desk of the council, then they were counted and documented.

"We have the results." Corey finally declared, "According to our votes, our new head Warbler is Warbler Logan Wright, other council members are Warblers Theo Raeken and Sebastian Smythe. Also, by the unanimous request of the ballot, we decided that Warbler Jeff Sterling would be our primary soloist, and Warbler Reed Van Kamp would be our secondary soloist." The Warblers applauded with joy as the two new soloists froze in shock.

"Congratulations." Josh banged his gavel one last time before gave it to Logan.

* * *

"There's a major flaw in our plan." Stiles said as he walked into the auditorium, "Somehow you never thought of asking whether Juilliard has a musical theatre department or not. I actually did the research, and the answer is no."

"That's a total disaster!" Lydia all but screamed, "I promised Aiden I'll be in New York with him!"

"And we will." Stiles said, subtly correcting her, "I also found out that there's a school called New York Academy Of Dramatic Arts. It's a bit obscure, but it is one of the best colleges in the nation for musical theatre."

"I've never heard of it." Lydia admitted reluctantly.

"Because it's a very specialized, extremely competitive school, the school doesn't usually advertise itself. Even so, there're hundreds of students auditioning each year, and they only take in about 20 of them."

"Then we must prepare the audition like right now, and we have to win the Nationals. We have to have a perfect resume to get in. Oh, and could we convince Mr. Hale to do a school musical?"

"Not so fast, Lyds. First of all, a school musical would be great, I'll help you with that. Second, the audition is in late April, so we just need to win Regionals. Also, they have a mixer of prospective high school students, and this year the Midwestern section is held in Columbus, and there's one on this Thursday."

"That would be an awesome chance to spy on our competition!" Lydia exclaimed excitedly. Fine, if that mindset could make her go to the mixer with him, he really can't complain about her antics for once.

"So now we'll prepare a number. We need to intimidate those wannabes so that they never even dare audition against us. Whatever rejects show up at that place would face not Velma and Roxie, but Barbra and Judy." She continued.

"And I have the perfect choice." Stiles interrupted, "I mean, if it could get me into the Warblers, it can definitely get me into NYADA."

"That song again?"

"Nah. Before the balcony of Casa Rosada, Eva was..."

"Don't even finish that sentence." Lydia said before she started to sing.

( **Lydia** , _Stiles_ , _**Both**_ )

**What's new, Buenos Aires?**   
**I'm new!**   
**I wanna say I'm just a little stuck on you**   
**You'll be on me too**

**I get out here, Buenos Aires**   
**Stand back!**   
**You oughta know what you're gonna get in me**   
**Just a little touch of star quality**

_Fill me up with your heat, with your noise_   
_With your dirt, overdo me_   
_Let me dance to your beat, make it loud_   
_Let it hurt running through me_   
_Don't hold back, you are certain to impress_   
_Tell the driver this is where I'm staying_

**Hello, Buenos Aires!**   
**Get this!**   
**Just look at me, dressed up, somewhere to go**   
**We'll put on a show**

_Take me in at your flood, give me speed_   
_Give me light, set me humming_   
_Shoot me up with your blood_   
_Wine me up with your nights, watch me coming_   
_All I want is a whole lot of excess_   
_Tell the singer this is where I'm playing_

**Stand back, Buenos Aires**   
**Because!**   
**You oughta know what you're gonna get in me**   
**Just a little touch of star quality**

_And if ever I go too far_   
_It's because of the things you are_   
_Beautiful town, I love you_   
_And if I need a moment's rest_   
_Give your lover the very best_   
_Real eiderdown and silence_

_You're a tramp, you're a treat_   
_You will shine to the death, you are shoddy_   
_But you're flesh, you are meat_   
_You shall have every breath in my body_   
_Put me down for a lifetime of success_   
_Give me credit, I'll find ways of paying_

_Rio de la Plata!_   
_Florida, Corrientes, Nueve de Julio_   
**_All I want to know_ **

**Stand back, Buenos Aires!**   
**Because!**   
**You oughta know what you're gonna get in me**   
**Just a little touch of...**   
_Just a little touch of..._   
_**Just a little touch of star quality**_

"They won't even know what hit them!" Lydia said gleefully.

* * *

"Why I have to follow you." Jackson complained, the third time in ten minutes, as he carried all the props and a large boombox.

"Moral support." Stiles replied.

"Your presence would make us feel less guilty to crush the others." Lydia added.

"And, probably the weight carrier as well." Stiles said, throwing a somewhat apologetic look at Jackson.

"So as soon as we're in, you two set up those props, I'll plug in the boombox and the microphone, and we will launch into the number immediately. Those somewhat talented yet sadly delusional opponents of ours would just rip up their applications in fits of jealousy rage." Lydia said excitedly.

"There it is." Stiles pointed at a sign saying "NYADA Applicants", "And then they'll sit there lamenting like Péron's mistress."

"Exactly." Lydia agreed as they pushed open the door.

They immediately saw a dozen or so students inside, who seemed to be rehearsing something, all of them in flamboyant fashion accessories. Among them were two familiar figures.

"Hello, what's your name, where are you from and what are your credits... Oh, you."

"Tracy?" Stiles asked in shock.

"Nice to meet you here Stiles, and Jackson! I thought you guys would be here sooner."

"Well we only found out about this three days ago." Stiles replied.

"That's great!" Mason appeared besides Tracy, "As my once future husband Robert Pattinson always says, 'It's refreshing to get new blood.'"

"Oh, and speak of refreshing, Stiles and I have put together a number that we think you would..." Lydia said as the trio sat down, but she was largely ignored.

"Places!" Tracy yelled, then turned back towards the trio, "You're just in time to see a number we put together today."

"We've only been futzing around with it for a while, so it's still a little rough now." A stranger said, "Brett Talbot. It's always good to meet new guys."

"So you could sit back, relax, and most importantly, enjoy." Mason smirked before leading the group back on the stage. The brass music started right then.

( _Tracy_ , **Mason** , NYADA Hopefuls with Brett on lead)

_Times have changed_   
_And we've often rewound the clock_   
_Since the Puritans got a shock_   
_When they landed on Plymouth Rock_   
_If today, any shock they should try to stem_   
_'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock_   
_Plymouth Rock would land on them_

_In olden days a glimpse of stocking_   
_Was looked on as something shocking_   
_But now God knows, Anything Goes_   
_Good authors too who once knew better words_   
_Now only use four-letter words_   
_Writing prose, Anything Goes_

**Anything you can be, I can be greater**  
 **Sooner or later, I'm greater than you** (No, you're not)  
 **Yes, I am** (No, you're not)  
 **Yes, I am!** (No, you're not!)  
 **Yes, I am** (No)  
 **Yes, I am!** (No!)

Apparently their Vocal Adrenaline training paid off, especially the dancing part. Now the whole group were dancing a well-choreographed tap dance number, their synchronisation was almost as good as the Warblers.

 **The world has gone mad today**  
 **And good's bad today**  
 **And black's white today**  
 **And day's night today**  
 **When most guys today**  
 **That women prize today**  
 **Are just silly gigolos**  
 **Any note you can hold**  
 **I can hold longer** _(I can hold any note longer than you)_  
 **No, you can't** _(Yes, I can)_  
 **No, you can't** _(Yes, I can)_  
 **No, you can't** _(Yes, I can)_

_Yes, I..._

Tracy held the note for an impressive twenty seconds as the rest of the group sung in the background.

In olden days a glimpse of stocking   
Was looked on as something shocking   
But now, God knows   
Anything Goes

_Yes!_ **(No!)**  
 _I!_ **(You!)**  
 _Can!_ **(Can't!)**

Anything goes!

Just as they finished, a small firework ignited on the centre of the stage, the trio was gaping at the performers in shock, and there's suddenly clapping from the doorway.

"Theo! Logan! You're late!" Tracy waved at the newcomers.

"Who again?" Lydia hissed in his ear. She hid her shock well, but the slightly higher pitch in her voice betrayed her.

"Sorry, Tracy. We were preparing for the open audition. We're council members now, and Logan is the new head Warbler." Came a voice he's more than familiar with. This can't be true.

"Really? Congrats! Now let me introduce you to..."

"Jackson?" Logan Wright asked, uncertain.

"Stiles? Lydia?" Theo Raeken asked at the same time.

"You've met before?" Mason wondered.

"I'm his boyfriend." Theo pointed at Stiles.

"You've met before?" Jackson asked in return.

"We've been meeting here twice a month since February." Tracy replied, "And after the Warblers' spectacular victory in the Nationals, we managed to recruit Theo and Logan here to help us."

This was the last thing he needed. As Theo's boyfriend, he knew exactly how talented Theo was. Although he now doubted his abilities after he saw that performance, he's older than Tracy and Mason, so they're not his direct opponent. But Theo was in the same grade as him, which means if he wanted to attend NYADA, he needed to defeat Theo first, and vice versa. That could spell the end of their relationship. They needed to talk, like right now.

"Theo, can I talk to you, privately?"

"Sure." Theo nodded and led Stiles to the hallway outside.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Stiles asked first.

"I told you already in summer break." Theo replied.

_"...and Stiles, I recently found a mixer of students who want to be on Broadway, maybe you should join with..."_

_"I love you, Theo."_

_"I know, and I love you as well, but please warn a guy before kissing him."_

_"Will do, my national champion."_

"Eh, that was kinda my fault..."

"You totally forgot what I said, right?"

"Sorry." Stiles mumbled out an apology, then asked again, "You do realize that we're direct competition now, right? And the Warblers and New Directions, since we both need a Regionals win."

"Yes, I'm aware. But we can't stay out of conflicts forever, sooner or later something like this will happen. Take this as a test to our relationship, Stiles, if it doesn't survive this, then we have to admit that our love isn't enough."

"I just thought there's a way out..."

"Our relationship didn't keep you at Dalton, right?" Theo questioned softly, "The reality is even if we're not competing for NYADA, we'll be competing against each other in the show choir championship. You have to admit that we would be rivals the moment you left Dalton."

"And that's why are you teaching your enemies? Because you don't care about the competition?" Stiles sighed. This is much harder than what he thought.

"First, I doubt any of them have the ability to recreate that with their school show choir, which doesn't have that much training. Second, the most talented of them all, Mason, Brett and Tracy, they're all sophomores, in terms of NYADA auditions, they're not our opponents. Lastly, after their disastrous lost in Regionals, which ended their eight-year-long Nationals winning streak, and the Steiner twins refused to return once again, I doubt Vocal Adrenaline are too eager to try anything new now. In fact, from what I gathered, they're currently tracking down Deucalion Louping."

"Their former coach who went to New York? Wait, how did you know so much about that?"

"It's all over the show choir blogosphere." Theo replied.

"I don't trust a group whose motto is _Aut neca aut necatus eris_ , but I do trust your judgement." Stiles said, "And we should probably go back in there. I don't know about the others, but Lydia would believe we're plotting something, and she will tell the others."

"They probably think we're only making out, but sure." Theo shrugged. They went back into the room, just in time to hear Tracy asking.

"So what do you think of our number?"

"I think it perfect!" Stiles blurted out.

"Sorry, Stiles, I'm actually asking Logan." She said apologetically then addressed the blond boy again, "Well, do you have any criticism? Suggestions, maybe?"

"Yes, actually I have quite a few. First of all, your chorus at the end..."

* * *

"I've never been so humiliated in my life." Lydia sobbed in the back seat of her car.

"Does that in or exclude that time when your boyfriend made omelettes on us?" Stiles replied through his own tears.

Lydia glared at him instead, but her tears apparently nerfed the glare's power.

"Okay, as your moral support I have to say something now." Jackson signed as he passed paper towels to them, "First things first, Lydia, you deserve this after you send Tracy to a crack house."

"It's not an active one!" Lydia tried to defend herself.

"And that doesn't make your actions any more justifiable or acceptable." Jackson retorted.

"Fine. Karma aside, anything more you want to talk about?"

"Yes, about your overconfidence. I thought after the Warblers annihilated us earlier this year you should have known that you're not the greatest performers out there. In fact, you are not even the best within two hours drive, imagine how many would be better than you two across the nation, or the whole world." Jackson said calmly, "I'd like to tell you what you like to hear, but that won't help your future audition a bit. If you think your current mindset could land you in NYADA, hell, any decent college, you can't be more wrong."

"Rationally I know you're right, but I could really use some confidence now." Stiles sighed and wiped his eyes again.

"Praise will do you no good now, it'll only make you even more delusional and arrogant. But yes, if you don't believe you're good enough you can never be. Look at yourselves. If you only see sad, puffy eyes filled with broken dreams, then you don't even deserve New York. Yes, Theo and Logan, they have more credits, they have more talent, they have more experience, but you are also one of a kind, achieved all of this on your own, without any professional guidance. You are fierce, you have ambitions, and no matter what happens, we'll face those together."

"We?" Lydia echoed curiously.

"We?" Stiles realized the wording as well, "Are you applying for NYADA?"

"First of all, it's fun. Also, the skills practised when we prepare for that audition could definitely help us win in competitions, and every school loves a trophy. Who knows, I may even go to New York after this."

* * *

"Thank you, you will hear from us." Theo said, sending that freshman who constantly falls flat away.

"It's one of the worst parts of the year." He then turned towards his fellow council members, "I don't know what went wrong, how comes I voluntarily signed up for this... musical torture?"

"Is that the reason why you keep us here with you?" Jon yelled, sitting on a sofa, the Warblers crowded around him.

"Partially." Theo admitted.

"I can't stress this enough. I loathe this stupid gavel." Logan hissed furiously.

"Do we actually have to speak like every single word we say is taken straight off the thesaurus?" Sebastian questioned with a bored impression on his face.

"Yes." Theo replied, "Now, don't eye me like that, you think I like that? It's just a formality, a theatrical personality. If Wes and Josh could pull off this, I can't see why we can't."

"Wesley!" Logan snorted, but he didn't argue further.

"Jeff, would you call in the next auditioner please?" Theo asked the blonde who nodded and opened the double door. Soon he led another boy into the room.

"Hello, Warblers. My name is Liam Dunbar, and I'll be auditioning with _You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)_ by _Dead or Alive_."

"Good, the stage is yours." Theo gestured him to start.

"Before I start, could the Warblers harmonize with me?"

"That's an unusual request... But I can't see why not." Logan replied as the council members stood up and prepare to sing the background vocals.

"Thank you." Liam grinned and started to sing.

( **Liam** , _The Warblers_ , _**Liam with the Warblers harmonizing**_ )

**You spin me right round, baby**   
**Right round like a record, baby**   
**Right round round round**

**If I, I get to know your name**   
**Well I, could trace your private number, baby**

**All I know is that to me**   
**You look like you're lots of fun**   
**Open up your loving arms**   
**I want some, want some**

**I've set my sights on you**   
**And I have got to have my way now, baby**

**All I know is that to me**   
**You look like you're having fun**   
**Open up your loving arms**   
**Watch out, here I come**

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_   
_**Right round like a record, baby** (You spin me)_   
**_Right round round round_ **

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_   
_**Right round like a record, baby** (You spin me)_   
_Right round round round_

**I, I got to be your friend now, baby**   
**And I, would like to move it just a little bit closer**

**All I know is that to me**   
**You look like you're lots of fun**   
**Open up your loving arms**   
**Watch out, here I come**

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_   
_**Right round like a record, baby** (You spin me)_   
**_Right round round round_ **

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_   
_**Right round like a record, baby** (You spin me)_   
**_Right round round round_ **

**I want your love**   
**I want your love**

**All I know is that to me**   
**You look like you're lots of fun**   
**Open up your loving arms**   
**Watch out, here I come**

**_You spin me right round, baby_ **   
**_Right round like a record, baby_ **   
**_Right round round round_ **

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_   
**_Right round like a record, baby_ **   
**_Right round round round_ **

_**You spin me right round, baby** (You spin me)_  
 **_Right round like a record, baby_ **  
_Right round round round_ **(I want your love)**

 **_You spin me right round, baby_ **  
**_Right round like a record, baby_ **  
_Right round round round_ **(I want your love)**

 **_You spin me right round, baby_ **  
**_Right round like a record, baby_ **  
_Right round round round_ **(I need your love)**

**You spin me right round, baby**   
**Right round like a record, baby**   
**Right round round round**

"That was awesome!" Reed exclaimed.

"So, am I a Warbler now?"

"Absolutely! I would give you my position as the lead singer even." Jeff said.

"May I remind you, to determine one's acceptance we need to vote first, and the council have the final say." Sebastian interrupted him.

"Thank you Liam, we'll inform you of our final decision as soon as possible." Theo gestured the boy towards the door, who nodded and walked out of the room.

"Do I need to say more?" Corey said as soon as Liam left.

"All those in favour?" Theo called, and every hand rose up.

"Then he'll be accepted." Logan banged the gavel, "And allow me to repeat my opinion, I hate this stupid gavel."

* * *

"Do you think Julian is really straight?" Jeff asked when the group were going to the commons for the second day of their public audition.

Theo almost sighed. Although they kinda promised Julian there won't be rumours about him circling around the campus, but just as Stiles once pointed out, boys gossip at least as much as girls.

"Why do you care, you have a boyfriend already." He instead said.

"It's not like that, I'm just curious. He always says he's straight in public, but is that real or just a façade?"

"He was seen going out with girls before." Jon said.

"That means nothing. If I have to hide I'm gay, I would go out with girls, even if it's just a platonic date." Nick said in disagreement.

"Logan, you're living with him for now. What do you think?" Jeff asked.

"I don't know, and I don't care. But what I do know is that even if he's not straight, he's still in the closet for a reason, and we should respect that." Logan replied absentmindedly.

"But..." Nick apparently wanted to ask more, but was cut off by Sebastian.

"Seriously guys, why do we care? If he beds a girl, fine. If he beds a boy, great. If he enjoys both, awesome. It's his private personal matter, and I don't care as long as it's not me."

Theo observed the scene with great suspicion. He knew his teammates too well to know any abnormal behaviour. Logan had been more cranky nowadays, which could only mean he was not taking his medication, which indicated that something is troubling him. Sebastian, on the contrary, was tense and overly quiet ever since the start of the semester.

Sebastian was hiding something. That's the only possible explanation.

"I hate to break his trust like this, but if it is the only way to make you all shut up." Reed sighed and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, "He's actually bi. My brother was working with him, and they briefly dated."

"Wow." is all the rest of the group could say.

"I trust all of you to keep this secret as long as Julian himself wishes, don't make me regret that." Reed continued.

"You won't." Logan promised as he pushed the double door open. But what they saw stopped them in their track: a lean figure was standing in the room.

"Speak of the devil." Theo muttered and spoke to Julian, "You are definitely not here to audition, am I right Mr. Larson?"

"This place is truly glamorous, full of old-world elegance." Julian said instead, "It's as if antique dealers would have aneurysms upon seeing the room."

"I don't suppose vintage furniture is a rare sight in the house of Dolce Larson." Logan stated plainly.

"My mother is actually a fan of Bauhaus designs." Julian replied with a smirk, "And can't one enjoy a piece of art?"

"You definitely can, but we'll hold an audition here soon, so maybe you could return afterwards."

Theo's words fell into deaf ears however, as Julian wandered into the storage space.

"I never thought I would see so many sheet music in my life." The actor marvelled at the bookshelf.

He has to persuade Julian to leave. Theo thought. Judging by the situation, Logan was apparently unreliable now, and there's only one person left who could have his ways with words.

He glanced at Sebastian, only to find the meerkat staring at the actor, but was uncharacteristically quiet.

That guy definitely knows much more than what he shows. Theo thought.

"I wanted to ask about this since the campus tour, but never got a chance to." Julian continued, "What's this?" He pointed at the trophy in the corner of the room.

"Our Nationals first place trophy." Theo replied.

"Most groups I know would display something like that in plain sight, not in a storage room."

"Well, we're not most groups." Logan shot back.

"And unlike most groups, we won't let someone in without auditioning, even if he's an Oscar-winner on our doorstep." He continued. Some Warblers gasped audibly at his words.

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Wright?" Julian grinned.

"It may be." There's a strange glint in Logan's eyes. It spelt danger to anyone who knew Logan for more than a day. The situation needed to be defused, now.

"Uh, Julian, you don't have to..."

"I haven't got much chance of singing after my last album came out." Julian interrupted him, "So..."

( **Julian** , _The Warblers_ )

**The time is right, I'm gonna pack my bags**   
**And take that journey down the road**   
**Cause over the mountain, I see the bright sun shining**   
**And I want to live inside the glow**

**I wanna go to place where I am nothing and everything**   
**That exists between here and nowhere**   
**I wanna go to a place where time has no consequence at all, yeah**   
**The sky opens to my prayers**

_I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_   
**I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful**   
_I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_   
**I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful**

**Please understand that it's not that I don't care**   
**But right now, these walls are closing in on me**   
**I love you more than I love life itself**   
**But I need to find a place were I can breathe**   
**I can breathe**

**I wanna go to place were I can hold the intangible**   
**And let go of the pain with all my might**   
**I wanna go to a place where I am suspended in ecstasy**   
**Somewhere between dark and light, where wrong becomes right**

**I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful**   
_I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_   
**I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful**   
_I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_

**Beautiful**

There was a moment of silence when the song ended, as everyone was recovering from the fabulous performance. Then the room erupted into cheers and applause. Julian, on the other hand, bowed gracefully and threw a small smirk at Logan, who merely shrugged in response and resumed clapping.

"Would you consider joining the Warblers?" Reed asked, his eyes fixed on the face of the actor. Julian, however, simply deepened his smirk and threw a glance at the trophy in the corner.

"You would need a lot more trophies than that to convince me to join." With that, Julian marched out of the commons with his head up high.

Theo internally sighed. This will definitely be an interesting year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used in this chapter:  
> Somewhere from West Side Story  
> I Want To Break Free by Queen  
> Pity The Child from Chess  
> I Hope I Get It from A Chorus Line  
> Heaven On Their Mind from Jesus Christ Superstar  
> Buenos Aires from Evita  
> Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do from Anything Goes/Annie Get Your Gun  
> You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Dead or Alive  
> Beautiful by India.Arie


	2. The Edge of The Knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fact is you can't leave your past behind, it'll always find a way back into your life.

_"Motion passed." Wes banged his gavel._

_Logan couldn't believe in his ears. The Warblers, with all their glorious traditions, decided to trust a rookie._

_He almost didn't hear David declaring their dismissal. Instead of following the others outside, he walked towards Wes' office in the back, knowing the head Warbler will stay there for a while to sort out the meeting records, and pushed the door open, somewhat rudely._

_"You promised me!" He hissed furiously at the head Warbler, who was sitting behind his desk._

_"Yes, I promised you to do whatever is the best for the Warblers." Wes replied, "And I can't see how I'm not."_

_"You can't see? That very suggestion is what's wrong, unspeakably vulgar as it shakes our very foundation as a group!"_

_"Beware of your intentions, Logan. If the others can see the reason behind it and is willing to change, I do believe you can as well, so don't let your personal ambitions blind you."_

_"Ambitions! That's exactly what I'm talking about! I may have my ambitions, yes, but I can see that it does not bode well if everyone in the group is blinded by their equally great ambitions."_

_"What you say won't inevitably be happening." Wes argued calmly, "Furthermore, we can't exactly keep any Dalton boys from pursuing further prestige."_

_"Is that what you want? Chasing fleeting fame and glory, letting our own ambitions tear us apart? Mark my words, Wes, what you did today will destroy the Warblers."_

_"If the Warblers are to be dishonoured, it's the result of everybody's actions, and you are in no place to assume that you can stop that."_

_Logan replied with a frustrated growl. He dashed out of the room in rage, towards the auditorium through the corridor. He burst into the auditorium, panting heavily as he tried to refocus his vision through his anger._

_And then he realized he's not alone here._

_The spotlights were on, lighting up the lower stage. He saw_ _Theo Raeken of all people jumped onto the empty stage as the music started, and sang at the empty seats._

This is time for a shake-up  
Look at me wake up, taking control  
This is a new beginning, my gears are spinning  
Let's rock'n'roll  
Just put  
One foot  
Onward and forward  
I used to be a zero but now I clearly feel that  
I may be the hero who will win this for real

I may be facing the impossible  
I may be chasing after miracles  
And there may be the steepest mountain to overcome

But this is step one  
Yeah this is step one

Who knew I had it in me  
Let me begin, see where this could go  
I've got knowledge and know how  
Don't stop the show now  
Don't stop the flow  
Just put  
One foot  
Onward and forward yeah  
I used to live in limbo never dying to begin  
But now it's sink or swim, so I'd better dive right in

I may be facing the impossible  
I may be chasing after miracles  
And there may be the steepest mountain to overcome  
But this is step one

It's not just my own glory  
This is my family  
No one's gonna stop us now  
Not while Theo Raeken is around

We may be facing the impossible  
We may be chasing after miracles  
And there may be the steepest mountain to overcome  
We may be facing the impossible  
We may be chasing after miracles  
And there may be the steepest mountain to overcome  
But this is step one

Just look what I have done  
This is step one!

_Logan quietly left the auditorium as the song ended, his eyes burning with fury. If that newbie wants his position, he can get it over his dead body._

_Game on, then._

* * *

"Thank you, you will hear from us." Theo said the same words again, sending the freshman away.

"Is falling flat during a song the new trend or something? I swear if the next..." Logan commented almost furiously.

"Miranda." Jeff interrupted him, "They don't have his talent but still hallucinating themselves as him, so ended up with none of his good and more than his bad."

"Pity we don't need those guys in the Warblers." Logan replied drily and Theo could see his companion was close to actually snapping.

He definitely hasn't been taking his medication. Theo decided. And he hoped the next auditioner would be at least not as bad.

"Jeff, please call in the next guy." Sebastian's voice broke him out of his trance, as the blonde nodded and left the room. But then he returned not with another boy behind him, but with wide eyes and disbelief all over his face.

"Uh, guys...?" He tried to speak something but was cut short as the next auditioner walked in. Theo was sure he heard a gasp, probably from Corey. But then he saw the new guy's face and he almost gasped out loud himself.

No. This is much worse.

"Hi, my name is Dwight Houston, and I'm auditioning with..."

"No way." Logan interrupted, rather rudely, "You are rejected. Now leave before—"

"What Logan here doesn't seem to understand is that we could only reject people base on their singing skills." Theo intervened as he clamped his hand on Logan's mouth, "So what do you have for us today?"

"I planned singing Brendon Urie, if that's okay with you." Dwight replied carefully, his eyes scanning across the room.

"Sure, pass me your instrumental music and the floor's yours."

"Are you mad?!" Logan hissed furiously into his ear, "You can't let that... sorcerer in!"

"We can reject him if he's awful at singing, Logan, and we are the ones who define awful here." He whispered back as Dwight started to sing.

_Please leave all overcoats, canes, and top hats with the doorman_   
_From that moment, you'll be out of place and under-dressed_   
_I'm wrecking this evening already, and loving every minute of it_   
_Ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring, and..._   
_Please leave all overcoats, canes, and top hats with the doorman_   
_From that moment, you'll be out of place and under-dressed_   
_I'm wrecking this evening already, and loving every minute of it_   
_Ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring, and..._

_When you're in black slacks_   
_With accentuating off-white pinstripes, whoa-oh_   
_Everything goes according to plan_

_I'm the new cancer, never looked better, you can't stand it_   
_Because you say so under your breath_   
_You're reading lips, "When did he get all confident?"_   
_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_   
_Never looked better and you can't stand it_

_Next is a trip to the, the ladies' room in vain, and_   
_I bet you just can't keep up with_   
_With these fashionistas_   
_And tonight, tonight, you are, you are a whispering campaign_   
_I bet to them, your name is cheap_   
_I bet to them, you look like sh..._   
_Talk to the mirror, oh, choke back tears_   
_And keep telling yourself that "I'm a diva!"_   
_Oh, and the smokes in that cigarette box on the table_   
_They just so happen to be laced with nitroglycerin_

_I'm the new cancer, never looked better, you can't stand it_   
_Because you say so under your breath_   
_You're reading lips, "When did he get all confident?"_   
_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_   
_Never looked better and you can't stand it_

_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_   
_I've never looked better and you can't stand it_   
_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_   
_I've never looked better and you can't stand it_

_And I know, and I know it just doesn't feel like_   
_A night out, with no one sizing you up_   
_I've never been so surreptitious_   
_So, of course, you'll be distracted when I spike the punch_   
_And I know, and I know it just doesn't feel like_   
_A night out, with no one sizing you up_   
_I've never been so surreptitious_   
_So, of course, you'll be distracted when I spike the punch_   
_And I know, and I know it just doesn't feel like_   
_A night out, with no one sizing you up_   
_I've never been so surreptitious_   
_So, of course, you'll be distracted when I spike the punch!_

That's... something for sure. Even in the strictest standard for the Warblers, the performance can't be described as awful.

"Thank you, Dwight, you will hear from us. Yes, probably." Theo quickly said, making Dwight nod and leave the room, while leaving the team in shock.

Corey however, merely smirked.

"You know of this." Josh accused.

"If you're talking about him attending Dalton, no, I don't. But his singing abilities? Yes, I'm aware. We dated once, remember."

"Oh how could we forget."

"Okay, now, standard procedure. Anyone in favour of Dwight Houston joining us?" Sebastian asked, while observing the room vigilantly.

This time, the newer members, those who never met Dwight in person before, raised their hand quickly. On the contrary, the upperclassmen were a bit more hesitant, but when Corey raised his hand, several followed as well. In the end, nine Warblers showed their agreements.

"Since he failed to secure two-thirds of the votes but managed to get more than a half, the council will decide on the matter." Logan banged the gavel, thrice, "Next auditioner please."

Theo can virtually feel fury radiating off the other boy, even if Sebastian was sitting between them, and he involuntarily shuddered. This would be ugly.

* * *

"Dwight Houston is out of the question."

"Why, he proved himself a decent singer, and you know we need good singers, especially since most of our vocal leads would graduate next year." Sebastian said as he and Theo followed Logan to the back chamber. Although his smirk showed he's very clear what the real problem is, Theo decided that they will play this game.

"Because if he's accepted, we have to live with him, Sebastian, and I don't think we're prepared for that."

"Exactly. So say whatever you like, I'm not living with him." Logan growled, and then he found what he's looking for: the sheet music score of _American Idiot_. He carefully nudged the book inwards, and with a low rumble, the whole bookshelf slowly swung open like a double door, revealing a hidden chamber behind it.

The other two gasped at the sight of that. "I don't even know this existed!" Theo remarked in awe.

"Thank God you don't." Logan shot back coldly.

"Who built this?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't know. But according to old Wesley the place was long abandoned when he found out about it."

"Wesley?" Suddenly a realization dawned upon Sebastian, "That's why you were so sure you would be his _diadochus_ , because he only told you about this place."

"Yes and before you ask, Diaz didn't, and still don't know about here. It was me who kept this place in shape last year. What do you think I was doing when I left the commons through the backdoor?"

"I thought you were going to the auditorium."

"We're not here to dwell in the past." Logan said sharply, "We're to talk about our future."

"Right. About Thomas Houston, he's actually not that big a deal, I don't know why you two are making such a fuss over him, he just has some... unorthodox behaviours, we can handle that." Sebastian argued.

"Not a big deal? Sebastian, if you try to throw rock salt into one's eyes and have that certain someone tell you in front of everyone it's not a big deal, I will let him in." Logan growled in response.

"You don't let him in, Logan, we the council decide who gets in, and our choices are restricted by the popular votes." Theo chimed in, "And may I remind you again, Dwight somehow have more than enough Warblers supporting him, so if we reject him we must convince several Warblers with valid reasons, which will be written down in our official record."

"I know that very well, thank you." Logan turned his attention towards Theo, "We should ask Corey first and foremost, don't you think?"

"He basically voted yes back then." Theo reminded.

"Dwight is his ex-boyfriend, and I think he should have more time to think about the whole affair."

"Look, Corey is one of my best friends, there's no way I would let him get hurt. I'm sure Dwight is not a threat to him, after all, they ended on good terms, unlike that bastard Lucas, and he is quite comfortable during Dwight's audition. With that, and the fact that Dwight is a decent performer, I see no reason not to let him in."

"So that's one for his acceptance. And since I voted against it, it will be your vote, Sebastian, who decide the matter. And no, you don't have the option to abstain."

"I dislike him for he was the one who invented the nickname 'Meerkat'." Sebastian said, "But that's no valid reason to turn away a good singer. On the other hand, I would like to raise another issue we overlooked: rooming."

The other two fell silent at once.

"There're only two empty beds in the dormitory, and one is unfortunately in Corey's room. I think we all agree that letting Corey live with his ex for a year is not the best for him." Sebastian continued, "So there's only one bed Dwight could use, that is the one currently occupied by Mr. Larson."

"No. Don't even think about it." Logan hissed furiously.

"Too late. I vote yes." Sebastian smirked deviously, and Logan seemed to be on the edge of snapping.

"There's another solution actually, Logan." Theo quickly chimed in, "If you can live with Reed this year, I think I'll have little problems convincing him to live with you, and Dwight can live in my room."

"That's of course an option." Sebastian replied somewhat merrily, "Now, since I already cast my vote, I think I'm free to leave then?" Without waiting for any answers, he walked out of the room, leaving the other two behind.

"Logan..." Theo started.

"FINE! I guess I have no other choice. So be it then."

"Thank you."

"And you'll be the one who explains the situation to the principal, because I'm so not doing that." And Logan stormed off as well leaving him alone in the commons.

Theo sighed heavily, then left the room as well, walked towards the principal's office. In a way, the Warblers needed a designated driver nowadays, and he's the only one capable of doing so. He's not entirely content of this role being thrust upon him, but someone has to be in his shoes sooner or later. He sighed again, this time more quietly, and held his head up high.

* * *

"Would you mind a hedgehog?"

"A hedgehog?" Logan repeated, tearing his eyes off the book to look at Julian.

"Yes, my hedgehog. Sonic." At Logan's blank expression, Julian added, somewhat aghast, "How comes you never heard of my dear Nicky, who's a frequent guest star on my Twitter?"

"A hedgehog named Sonic. Truly creative." Logan replied drily.

"Not asking you to name him." Julian fake scowled in response, "Just asking could I keep him in the dorm or not."

"But you're moving out tonight." Logan pointed out, "You don't need my permission anymore. You probably should talk to the school though."

"They already said yes." Julian replied, "But I actually mean whether the Warblers would tolerate him."

"I guess you have the license for keeping a pet hedgehog." Logan said, "Not that you would flash an illegal pet around on Twitter though."

"Of course he's legally kept. Who do you think I am?" Julian put on a scowl, but his lips' curving betrayed him.

"Then I believe if you keep him mostly out of others' rooms, no one will object. Beware of the fact that some of us might be Sonic's fans though."

"Fair point. Also his photos might give my location away. I should be careful."

"Exactly. Like I told you, none of us wants to have a horde of reporters on our doorstep."

"What are you reading?" Julian then asked, "Is that a yearbook?"

"Yes, this is a Dalton yearbook, only it's from years ago, back when my father graduated from here."

"Your father? Is he in this book?"

"Yes. Actually one of his photos is right... here." Logan pointed at a picture on the page he's reading, in which stood two teens, one was wearing a bird-shaped pin on his lapel, with blond hair and blue eyes, quite similar to the boy pointing at him.

"So that is..."

"John Logan Wright Jr." Logan said for him.

"And that makes you..."

"The third. Yes, and don't ask. I hate this name no less, part of the reason why I go by Logan."

"So what does that bird pin stands for? Is that a symbol of the Warblers?"

"Yes, it was. But nowadays we don't get pins like that anymore. Because it's not exactly practical, or cheap, or necessary."

"And who's that guy? He and your father seemed close."

"That guy standing next to him? He was my father's best friend before they had a huge fight a decade ago." Logan pointed at the athletic-build teen sporting a buzz cut on the photo, before moving his finger to the opposite page on which written in golden cursive was the word _Windsor_ , "Well, this guy must be Shaytan himself."

"Why? What did he do?" Julian asked curiously. The guy's a very normal looking young chap with sandy hair and a somewhat sinister grin, but other than that he's not too different from any other in the book.

"It's not him, it's his twin sons. Absolute demons. We attended Lionscourt junior high together in Manhattan." Logan explained with a slight frown, "I can tell you they are pretty adamant on making my life hell."

"So you are a New Yorker."

"Yes, and I ended up here, not the most glorious part of my life."

Logan wanted to say more, but the beeping sound of his phone stopped him. He fished the device out of his pocket, glanced at the screen and sighed immediately.

"Fencing practice, sorry. Maybe another time?" He apologized.

"Sure, of course. Didn't know you fence though."

"Now you know. And do you?"

"Learned some basics for an episode before, which was eventually cut."

"Ah, such a shame. So could I hope for a sparring match someday?"

"Of course, someday." Julian waved goodbye as Logan walked out of the library. Then he heard soft footsteps behind him, footsteps he'd recognised anytime.

"Hey, kitten."

"Don't call me that now." Julian sighed and turned towards Sebastian Smythe, "Also, you broke your promise."

"I think you should know I'm good at breaking promises already."

"You never showed up." Julian replied instead.

"I was late."

"Still, you didn't show up in time. I waited until the last moment. Our offer still stands."

"Again, I guess we're just good at breaking promises. You promised you won't wait for me, and I promised I won't go after you."

"I guess we both were caught up in a dream. In reality this was not a love story we imagined. Love happens in the city of love, just not to us." Julian sighed.

"Why do you text me then?"

"I'm not texting to you in particular, and I know you are not texting to me as well. And why do you text me then?"

"Because I feel guilty." Sebastian answered truthfully.

"You don't need to. We have a deal."

"Had. It's broken now. I am in your life again and you mine. You can't just pretend nothing happened."

"I'd like to be your friend again, partners in crimes even. But you have to realize that things changed between us."

"Yes, it changed. Everything changed. I want to settle down for once. And then I heard your voice through the television. At that moment I know there is something more important than being free of those burdens." Sebastian whispered, his eyes a beautiful shade of olive green.

And what could he say in response? That he could never forget Paris as well? That he would gaze at that small silver Eiffel of his once in a while? That he still loves...

"I should go, Sebastian, goodbye."

* * *

Stiles Stilinski was back in Dalton. Again.

No. This visit was not planned.

His day started quite normal. After he returned from school, he found the house empty. Jackson was with Danny, Caroline was at the grocery store, and his father would spend another hour or more in his office before heading home.

He took the opportunity to search the liquor cabinet once more, and actually found another bag of bacon hidden behind a bottle of Vermouth. That's when his plans went to hell.

His goddammed dad had to appear by then, and declared that he'll be having a date night and Stiles was banished until midnight. No doubt his old man would use those hours to hide more bacon stashes.

So he promptly stormed out of the house with the bacon bag in hand.

It's probably not his plan to take that bottle of Vermouth with him.

And no, he being here in Dalton with several pounds of oxtail and a bundle of celery was also not a part of the plan.

He first cut three carrots, two onions and three stalks of celery into fine dices, mixed them with half a pound of bacon in a sauté pan and cooked for 15 minutes. Then he added the salted and peppered oxtail into the mix until they're beautiful browned. Taking them out of the pan and set them aside, he then poured in five cups of Vermouth along with a teaspoon of cinnamon and cloves power each and a dozen sprig of marjoram. After three minutes or so, he added three cans of peeled tomatoes into the casserole, sprinkle the mixture with grounded nutmeg, returned the oxtail into the mix and braised it in the oven heated to 325 degrees.

And then he waited.

"80 minutes passed. 70 to go." Stiles sighed as he flipped the oxtail pieces one last time.

He used the spare time to cut more celery down into inch-long pieces. A tune came into his head, and he naturally sang along.

_Les rêves des amoureux sont comme le bon vin_   
_Ils donnent de la joie ou bien du chagrin_   
_Affaibli par la faim, je suis malheureux_   
_Volant en chemin tout ce que je peux_   
_Car rien n'est gratuit dans la vie_

_L'espoir est un plat bien trop vite consommé_   
_À sauter les repas, je suis habitué_   
_Un voleur solitaire est triste à nourrir_   
_À un jeu si amer, je n'peux réussir_   
_Car rien n'est gratuit dans_

_La vie, jamais on ne me dira_   
_Que la course aux étoiles, ça n'est pas pour moi_   
_Laissez-moi vous émerveiller et prendre mon envol_   
_Nous allons enfin nous régaler_   
_La fête va enfin commencer_

_Sortez les bouteilles, fini les ennuis_   
_Je dresse la table de ma nouvelle vie_   
_Je suis heureux à l'idée de ce nouveau destin_   
_Une vie à me cacher et puis libre, enfin_   
_Le festin est sur mon chemin_

_Une vie à me cacher et puis libre, enfin_   
_Le festin est sur mon chemin_

By the time he finished the song, he already cut ten stalks down. That should be enough.

"Stiles?"

He almost jumped into the air. Thank whatever deity that he's not holding the knife in his hand.

"Theo? You frightened me."

"Sorry about that. I heard you singing and was just surprised to find you here. Shouldn't you be in Lima? I thought you'll have your dinner at home."

"My dad kicked me and Jax out for a date night with Caroline." He rolled his eyes, "I'm hungry and have nowhere else to go, so I'm here." Stiles replied, "And why are you here?"

"Pork brain omelette." Theo explained, seeing the mortified expression on his boyfriend's face, "It's not as bad as it sounds, it's actually a quite tasty Cantonese dish."

"Well I guess your exotic cuisine could wait till tomorrow, I make enough _Coda alla Vaccinara_ for every Warbler."

"And this is it?" Theo peeked into the oven, "Oxtail stew, if I'm not wrong?"

"Exactly." Stiles replied, "What I'm cooking is a variant of the original Lazio dish, though."

"Why so many celeries? Wouldn't it ruin the dish with those fibres and slightly tart taste?"

"Oh, you'll be surprised. With so long time in the oven, they'll be reduced to a flavorful pulpy slurry, which could compliment the fatty taste of oxtail perfectly along with Vermouth." Stiles said confidentially, "Now if you excuse me, it's time to work my magic."

Theo stepped aside to let Stiles adding celery pieces into the casserole, and set another hour on the oven timer, "So it is the main dish, or you have something else in mind?"

"I plan to serve it with pasta, rigatoni to be specific."

"Can I have my serve first?" Theo took a step closer to him.

"Of course, that's your boyfriend privileges."

"Actually, I have something else in mind." Another step, and a pair of strong arms surrounded his waist.

"We haven't seen each other for a while." Stiles remarked.

"And we have this moment alone." Their lips connected.

Then a voice rang from the main hall, and they separated from the kiss at once, he almost jumped backwards in surprise.

"What are you cooking, Raeken? I could smell them from upstairs!"

He definitely heard of that voice, but definitely not from his time in the Warblers. Maybe the Warblers recruited one of their old opponents? If that's, god forbid, Mason Hewitt...

But no. A young man in slate grey shirt, Dalton blazer and crisp jeans, with slicked-back chestnut hair paced into the kitchen, and flashed them a charming smile. He did a double-take and thought he recognised him, but it can't be, right?

"It's not me, actually." Theo replied casually, "It's my boyfriend, Stiles, here. Stiles, meet Julian Larson."

Oh, and that makes sense... Wait, who?

"Nice to meet you, Stiles." Julian Larson, Oscar winner, grinned warmly at him.

"Oh, you are THE Julian Larson-Armstrong?! Quite a surprise seeing you here in Dalton, but then again I did hear something during my time here. I am definitely your fan, or at least I think I count as one. Sorry, I must seem very impolite right now, but sometimes I would ramble out of control, like right now, oh no..." Great. He successfully made himself a fool, in front of Julian Larson of all people.

"Believe me," Julian said with an amused tone, "You're not the craziest fan I've ever met."

"I, uh, can imagine..."

"What is this you're cooking?" The actor then peered through the glass on the oven door, "Oxtail? That's something I haven't seen in a while."

"I take that you like it?" Theo questioned.

"Of course I do, I like all good cookings. I haven't smelt anything this good since I left Paris."

"Paris?"

"I was there, shooting a scene for an episode of _Something Damaged_ , and I wandered across a cosy yet elegant small restaurant. It was one of the best dinners I've had." Julian recalled, then turned back towards Stiles, "I hope you can spare a serving or two for your idol?"

"Oh, that should be enough for every Warbler. I'll serve that with pasta, as dinner, so maybe you could wait a while?"

"Great! I'll be waiting for my share then, goodbye!"

"He really is a force of nature, isn't he?" Theo commented, as Julian marched out of the kitchen and the hearing range. Stiles, however, only sighed.

"Let's get back to the oxtail, shall we?"

* * *

"The council call this meeting into order." Logan said without striking that gavel.

"For our second official meeting of this semester, first, Warblers Nick and Jeff requested to speak. Please, the floor is yours." Sebastian said, gesturing towards Nick, who stood up and addressed the group.

"It has come to our attention that we haven't had any performances since the start of the semester. And I believe now is a perfect chance for one."

"We wish to start this year officially by an impromptu performance." Jeff added.

"Of course, let's not waste any time then." Sebastian nodded and let Nick and Jeff took the centre of the room.

( **Nick** , _Jeff_ , _**Niff** **with the Warblers**_ )

**My Sharona**   
**My Sharona**

_Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one_  
 _When you gonna give me some_ _**time, Sharona?**_  
 _Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run_  
 _Gun it coming off of the **line Sharona**_

**_Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind_ **   
**_Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind_ **

_**My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!** _   
_**M-m-m-my Sharona** _

**My Sharona**

_Come a little closer, huh, ah, will ya, huh_   
_**Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona** _   
_Keeping it a mystery gets to me_   
_**Running down the length of my thighs, Sharona** _

_**Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind** _   
_**Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind** _

_**My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!** _   
_**M-m-m-my Sharona** _   
_**M-m-m-my Sharona** _

**Na, na, na, na, na-na**   
**My Sharona**

_When you gonna get to me, get to me_   
_It is just a matter of **time Sharona**_   
_Is it d-d-destiny, d-destiny?_   
_Or is it just a game in my **mind, Sharona?**_

_**Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind** _   
_**Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind** _

**_My, my, my, ay, ay, woah!_ **  
**_M-m-m-m-m-m-m-my, my, my, ay, ay, woah!_ **  
**_M-m-m-my_ ** _Sharona_ **(Sharona)**  
 **_M-m-m-my_ ** _Sharona_ **(Sharona)**  
 **_M-m-m-my_ ** _Sharona_ **(Sharona)**  
 **_M-m-m-my Sharona_ **

_**Oooaah, my Sharona** _   
_**Oooaah, my Sharona** _   
_**Oooaah, my Sharona** _   
_**Woah!!** _

Applause rang by the doorway, and they saw a familiar redhead leaning against the oak door.

"Lydia Martin in her flesh." Theo greeted, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I come here today as a diplomat, Warblers." She stepped towards the council's desk and placed a small bundle of paper on it.

"We're all ears, then."

"You, yes, all of you, are invited to the school musical of McKinley. I reserved a whole block for you, and that's more than enough, so feel free to bring your plus ones."

"What musical is it?" Logan asked, taking the tickets from her.

" _West Side Story_." She answered, "And the performance time is noted on your tickets."

"We'll be there." Corey said, "I assume you'll be playing Maria?"

"Actually, no. Because Isaac is Tony and I don't have the necessary chemistry with him, so I took Anita instead."

"And you'll be taking the centre stage in Sectionals instead?"

"Of course I am."

"That would be a tough competition, then." Nolan said.

"Not that we're facing against each other in Sectionals." Lydia mused.

"We aren't?" Logan asked curiously.

"You haven't received the e-mail yet?" Lydia questioned in return.

A puzzled look covered Logan's face, then it changed into realization.

"We haven't changed our contact info, so it would be Josh who received the e-mail." Logan explained, "Normally it should be changed by the end of last semester, when the new council would've been chosen. But they resigned only recently and everything's still in chaos. I guess we overlooked that."

"Let's hope you're not against the Vocal Adrenaline then. I heard their old coach is back.

"Deucalion Louping?" Theo asked.

"Yes, him. How do you know that?"

"It was the hottest topic on the show choir blogosphere. And I guess we're not against them, or there'll be much more gossips around." He replied.

"Fair enough. Well, as pleasant as this conversation is, I have to get going. See you all in my opening night then. Oh and by the way, you're also invited to the party after the show." And with that she's gone.

"I guess if we don't show up we'll be in deep trouble?" Liam whispered into his ears.

Theo could only nod in response.

* * *

"Bullseye."

"That's another three points for you, then." Jackson replied, "But since I finish my arrows first, I will claim those three bonus points for myself."

"So you win. But I hold my point, nobody cares about how fast you shoot, only accuracy matters, and for that I'm the better archer." Allison set her bow down and took a sip of water.

"True." Jackson admitted, "However in a real combat you have to take down your opponents as fast as possible, or you'll be the one who gets shot."

"This is not a battle simulation, Jax, it's a practice range, and here accuracy reigns." Allison then turned her attention back to the bows, "Where did you get these bows? They're much better than those longbows we tried last week. Oh by the way, according to my father, those longbows was made from ash wood, not yew. You probably brought those from a charlatan."

"These are composite bows used by Cossacks, mostly used in horseback archery. Cost me a hefty sum, but I think they're quite worth that price, unlike those fake longbows."

"Definitely." Allison agreed, "What are our companions doing by the way?"

"Well, they are entertaining themselves for sure..."

"...and we have the Mongolian word for bitterness, transcribed as gašuun, probably related to hashish as well."

"So you think the word actually describes the bitter taste of opium?"

"It's a possibility, Issac." Stiles said enthusiastically.

The door was suddenly blown open, as Lydia Martin stepped into the practice range.

"Good news, I convinced the Warblers to come to our show, also the party afterwards."

"You mean, you blackmailed them into accepting, or did you threatened them?" Stiles spoke up, clearly annoyed.

"Have some faith in me, Stilinski." Lydia flicked her hair, "I offered them a formal invitation, and they accepted with formality. Also, they accepted to join our after-performance party as well."

"Lyds, I told you to invite Theo and Logan in private, why would you invite the entire group? Do they even know where we're planning to go?" Jackson questioned.

"Eh... Not really?"

"Lydia Martin! I know I can't trust you on this!" Stiles hissed in frustration.

"But you told me it was Sebastian who told you about _Scandals_." Lydia argued, "The Warblers ought to have known the place already. Also, that bar is not one of those seedy places like _Jungles_ , I'm sure they won't dislike there."

"Fine. But if anything unexpected happens, I will hold you responsible."

And knowing Lydia Martin, something unexpected will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used in this chapter:  
> Step One from Kinky Boots (Lyrics slightly altered)  
> There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet by Panic! At The Disco  
> Le Festin from Ratatouille (sung in French)  
> My Sharona by The Knack  
> 


	3. Brother Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sectionals rolled by, and some unexpected visits sent the tension in the group skyrocketing. That's never a good sign.  
> And to add more flavour, Haven, possibly the most famous boyband in the world, arrived in town, with more secrets in tow.

_The Seine was as beautiful as ever. Julian thought as he sat on the deck with one Sebastian Smythe, cruising towards the Notre Dame cathedral._

_The day was cloudy, but you can't expect everything to be perfect, right?_

_"Isn't that the bridge where you almost fell into the river?" Julian pointed upwards._

_"Yeah,_ Pont Marie _." Sebastian replied, "Which means our main destination is not far away."_

_It was then the ship turned and the grand cathedral drifted into their view._

_"Notre Dame. Impressive, isn't it?"_

_"Hmm." Julian hummed, his eyes glued to the structure. Sebastian, on the other hand, was busy hauling himself onto the railing, and as soon as he's firmly sat he extended his hand at Julian._

_"You may want to be careful, the railing is quite slippy."_

_"Sure." Julian shrugged as he climbed up on his own, his feet hanging above the water._

_"Come on, let's sing something, it'll be fun." Sebastian said abruptly, his lips curved into a mischievous smirk._

_"Sing?"_

_"Oh, you know, what you were doing when you recorded that album of yours?" And Sebastian, being his usual self, didn't bother to wait when he started singing a cappella._

_(_ Sebastian _,_ **Sebastian and Julian** _)_

C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu  
Paris la belle en l'an de Dieu  
Mille quatre cent quatre-vingt-deux  
Histoire d'amour et de désir  
Nous les artistes anonymes  
De la sculpture ou de la rime  
Tenteront de vous la transcrire  
Pour les siècles à venir

Il est venu le temps des cathédrales  
Le monde est entré  
Dans un nouveau millénaire  
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles  
Écrire son histoire  
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre

Pierre après pierre, jour après jour  
De siècle en siècle avec amour  
Il a vu s'élever les tours  
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains  
Les poètes et les troubadours  
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour  
Qui promettaient au genre humain  
De meilleurs lendemains

_"Come on, Jules, join me." Sebastian paused for a second._

_"Fine, but I never sang a cappella before, so it may be bad." Julian chuckled._

**Il est venu le temps des cathédrales**   
**Le monde est entré**   
**Dans un nouveau millénaire**   
**L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles**   
**Écrire son histoire**   
**Dans le verre ou dans la pierre**   
**Il est venu le temps des cathédrales**   
**Le monde est entré**   
**Dans un nouveau millénaire**   
**L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles**   
**Écrire son histoire**   
**Dans le verre ou dans la pierre**   
**Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales**   
**La foule des barbares**   
**Est aux portes de la ville**   
**Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales**   
**La fin de ce monde**   
**Est prévue pour l'an deux mille**   
**Est prévue pour l'an deux mille**

_"Wow." Julian breathed as they finished the last note together._

_"Yeah, wow." Sebastian grinned, "See, you're not as bad as you imagined. We should sing together again."_

_"If we got the chance, sure." The last time he sang with somebody... was that when he added Clark on his speed dial?_

_"You two, get down from there, there are much safer ways of PDA." The voice of Reginald Smythe, Sebastian's older brother, startled him, making him losing him balance._

_He wanted to reply, but his body chose that very moment to slip. He tried to grab something but cold water greeted his body and he froze in shock, unable to move and let the river engulf him._

_He fell into the Seine. Great._

_How ironic. He thinks. Three days ago he saved Sebastian from falling into the very same river, and now he's the one soaking wet in late December._

_Well, Seb, here's to the fools who dream._

_He remembered someone calling his name out loud, remembered how his face was greeted by freezing air, remembered someone removing his wet coat, remembered someone's hot body pressed against his as the air around him warmed up, remembered how the flickering light underwater transited into the bright lighting in the cabin._

_"Oh, Seb." He actually smiled at his saviour, "The mess me made."_

_Then Sebastian's lips were upon his._

* * *

_Scandals_ sure have seen better days, when a horde of teenagers was not present.

Yet they're here, with their fake IDs, courtesy of Danny and Sebastian.

"And every drink you have tonight is on my tab!" Sebastian declared as the group settled around the bar, and was met with enthusiastic cheers and applauses.

"Still your usual, Seb?" Thad said instead.

"Ah, no, not today. Give me a glass of Faustino I Gran Reserva please."

"Rioja? Seriously?" Logan whispered under his breath.

"Alright. Coming right up." Thad smiled and turned to the others, "And what is that you like, mi amigo?"

"I would take a glass of Federweißer, thank you." Reed.

"Sidecar, french style, please." Dwight.

"Barack Pálinka on the rocks please." Jon.

"Balvenie 16, with a splash of water, thank you." Nick.

"A glass of Chateau de Beaucastel 2016, please." Jeff.

"Talisker Storm, neat, in a lowball glass, with an ice cube." Logan.

"Virgil's Cola, please." Jackson.

"Alright, I see you're trying to make Seb bankrupt tonight." Thad chuckled, "And you, ladies?"

"I would like a shot of Couperné calvados, please." Allison.

"For me, Satsuma shōchū, mizuwari." Lydia.

"Verte absinthe, bohemian ritual." Malia.

"Wow, you're really testing our alcohol storage." Thad said, while passing a glass bottle of dark liquid to Jackson, "But don't worry, satisfaction guaranteed tonight."

"Are they even ordering in English?" Stiles muttered to his boyfriend.

"Some of those drinks are not named in English, actually. And I would like to try my luck." Theo then slid into a spare stool, and motioned Thad to come over, while Stiles decided to follow, "Do you, by any chance, have some kumiss in hand? I don't want to drink too much alcohol tonight, you know."

"What do you think?" Thad disappeared behind the shelves for a while, and reappeared with a large cup of milky liquid and a confident smirk, "Traditional Mongolian airag. Enjoy."

"Wow, really? This is more than marvellous, thank you so much."

"You're welcome. What about you, Stiles? Fancy something foreign as well?"

"I think I'll stick with Boulevardier, thanks."

"Okay, that's an easy one. Coming soon."

As Thad moved away from them and handed Malia a cup of flaming green liquid, Stiles leaned in. "What is that kumiss you ordered?"

"Oh, that's a traditional steppe drink, basically fermented mare's milk. It's very light in body compared to most dairy drinks, since itself has a very low level of alcohol, mainly used to avoid drinking contaminated water. It has a unique, slightly sour flavour with a bite from the mild alcoholic content."

"Can I try some?"

"Sure, here you are."

Stiles took a sip and furrowed his brows slightly. "It tastes like... Calpis somehow?"

"That's because Calpis is actually modelled to imitate the flavour of kumiss." Thad chimed in, "Your Boulevardier, Stiles."

"Thanks." Stiles took a sip of his own drink, feeling the rich flavour of bourbon and the bitterness of vermouth dancing across his tongue.

"Hey, Theo. Escaping from the crowds here? And you must be his boyfriend, Stiles." Another guy sat down on the other side of Theo.

"Liam, right? You're one of those new Warblers." Stiles recalled, "And you're Mason's friend."

"Yeah, that's me."

"So how do you think of the Warblers so far?" Stiles asked.

"To be honest, I'm a bit intimidated. And it's not necessarily by their musical abilities."

"My thoughts exactly when I first joined. Like their exotic tastes, never got used to those."

"Exotic tastes?" Liam quirked an eyebrow.

Stiles merely shrugged, and pointed towards Thad, passing a glass of purple liquid to Lydia, who thanked him in Japanese.

Thad must've misunderstood his gestures however, as he moved towards them somewhat hastily. "Need anything else, Stiles?"

"Oh, no, it's definitely not me. I'm fine as I am, thanks for asking by the way. It's Liam here who needs a drink. And what do you have in mind, Liam? Sebastian would be paying for all drinks so don't worry about prices." 

"Rum and coke would be fine, thanks." Liam replied.

"Okay, coming."

They spend the next twenty minutes talking over their drinks about Dalton and Warblers, also their life in general.

"I'll hit the dance floor. Are you coming?" Liam finished his drink and stood up, his eyes fixed on Theo.

"We'd like to spend more time here, and maybe have another drink or two. Thanks for offering though." Theo answered.

"Well, you know where to find me." Liam smiled and left for the other side of the club, where Allison and Isaac were dancing.

"Theo, you do realize he got a thing for you, right?" Stiles asked in a hushed whisper and a stern stare as soon as Liam's out of earshot.

"Who? Liam?" Theo stared at him with wide eyes, "Uh... maybe?"

"Don't tell me you're oblivious like that, surely you saw his reactions around you."

"No, he... Wait, are you jealous, Stiles?"

"Maybe I am! He's there, living in the same dorm with you, could see you every single day, while I'm two hours away, and have to schedule our dates. This is not what a loving relationship should be."

"Good." Theo breathed a sigh of relief, "So I'm not the only one who realized there're problems in our relationship. Not to mention we'll be opponents soon, both for NYADA and Nationals."

"We have to talk about this, sooner or later."

"I agree, and sooner is better than later. But we can't talk here and now, with you tipsy and me with my duty to prepare for our Sectionals."

"Let's talk about this after Sectionals, then." Stiles suggested, and Theo nodded in agreement.

They moved closer to the main group, where Dwight's talking about archery.

"Archery? Then you must meet Ms. Argent here. Come, let me introduce you to her." Jackson then led Dwight away from the table.

"One less drunk to deal with." Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly.

"Really, Seb? As long as they're still in this club, you have to deal with them. Also you're the one who is paying for their drinks." Nick said.

"Touché." Sebastian smirked and took another sip of his wine.

The music in the air suddenly changed, as Danny dragged an amused Jackson onto the stage and took their microphones in hand.

"They're singing Jason Derulo?" Stiles questioned.

( _Danny_ , **Jackson** , _**Both**_ )

 _Everybody's lookin' for love_ **(Ooh, oh)**  
 _Ain't that the reason_  
 _You're at this club?_ **(Ooh, oh)**  
 _You ain't gon' find it_  
 _Dancin' with him_ **(No, oh)**  
 _I got a better solution_  
 _For you girl_ **(Ooh, oh)**

 **Just leave with me now**  
 **Say the word and we'll go** _(And we'll go)_  
 **I'll be your teacher**  
 **I'll show you the ropes** _(You the ropes)_  
 **You'll see a side of love**  
 **You've never known**  
 **I can see it going down, going down**

 _In my head,_ **_I see you all over me_**  
 _In my head, **you fulfill my fantasy**_  
 _My head_  
 **You'll be screaming no**  
 _In my head, **it's going down**_  
 _My head, **it's going down**_  
 _In my head_  
 _Yeah. In my head. Oh yeah_  
 **C'mon!**

 **Some dudes known**  
 **All the right things to say** _(Eh, eh)_  
 **When it comes down to it**  
 **It's all just game** _(Eh, eh)_  
 _Instead of talking let me demonstrate_  
 _Yeah!_  
 ** _Get down to business_**  
 ** _Let's skip foreplay, ay yeah_**

 **Just leave with me now**  
 **Say the word and we'll go** _(We can go)_  
 **I'll be your teacher**  
 **I'll show you the ropes** _(You the ropes)_  
 **You'll see a side of love**  
 **You've never known** _(Never known)_  
 _ **I can see it going down, going down**_

 _In my head_ **(baby)**  
 **_I see you all over me_ **  
_In my head, **you fulfill my fantasy**_  
 _My head_  
 **You'll be screaming no**  
 _In my head, **it's going down**_  
 _My head, **it's going down**_  
 _In my head_

 **Break it down** _(Ay-oh)_  
 **Come on**  
 **Yeah** _(Ay-oh)_  
 **Let's go** _(Uuh Ay-oh)_  
 _You singing to me baby_  
 _In my head right now_  
 _(Ay-oh Ay-oh)_ **Come on**  
 **Yeah** _(Uuh Ay-oh)_  
 _She'll be screaming out_  
 _When it all goes down_

 **_Just leave with me now_ **  
**Say the word and we'll go** _(We can go)_  
 **_I'll be your teacher_ **  
**I'll show you the ropes** _(You the ropes)_  
 **_You'll see a side of love_ **  
**You've never known** _(Never known)_  
 **_I can see it going down, going down_ **

_In my head,_ **I see you all over me**  
 _In my head,_ **you fulfill my fantasy**  
 _My head_  
 **You'll be screaming no**  
 _In my head,_ **it's going down**  
 _My head,_ **it's going down**

 _In my head,_ **I see you all over me**  
 _In my head,_ **you fulfill my fantasy**  
 _My head_  
 **You'll be screaming no**  
 _In my head,_ **it's going down**  
 _My head,_ **it's going down**  
 ** _It's going down in my head_**

"That was perfect! I just want to live here forever and make arts, you know." Danny proclaimed as he stumbled off the stage, almost tripped over a wire.

"You sure are tipsy, Danny." Jackson laughed lightly, he steadied Danny and guided him back towards their group.

"Am not."

"Hey! Whittemore, over here!" Sebastian suddenly called from the other side of the club, raising his glass up high.

"Well, I guess I'm off to see what he wants. Lydia, keep Danny off those fruity cocktails."

"Will do. Now go to see your new boyfriend!" The mentioned girl slurred back.

"You probably need to be watched as well." Jackson muttered, then signalled the twins over, "Do me a favour guys, keep an eye on both of them, please."

"Of course Jax." Ethan winked.

"I'll probably regret this later." Jackson grumbled out one last sentence as he left for Sebastian, leaving a protesting Danny and a needy Lydia behind.

"Okay, even if I am drunk, I'm completely harmless here!"

"Last time you were drunk, you serenaded Jackson's Porsche with _Greased Lightning_ , Danny, in case you forgot." Ethan smirked at his... ex-boyfriend?

"Where was I when that happened?" Lydia laughed, clutching onto Aiden like climbing a tree.

"And last time you were drunk you..." Danny shut up abruptly. The awkward silence fell between them.

"Oh." Ethan guiltily glanced at Jackson, who was now sitting between Logan and Sebastian.

"You wanna bet, Whittemore?" Sebastian said loudly.

"Well I don't drink, so it's all up to you."

"Fine then. Thad! Give me whatever Wright is drinking."

"You finally talked him into drinking scotch, Lo?" Thad smirked as he prepared the drink.

"Just a one-time thing, Thaddeus, don't get too excited. I'm still solid team cognac." Sebastian answered instead.

"Huh, let's see. Talisker Storm, neat. Enjoy." 

Sebastian took a large sip with his trademark smirk, and almost immediately burst into a violent coughing fit. Jackson almost laughed, and he's sure he heard Logan snickering.

"What the actual fuck? That's what you've been drinking? It tastes like mud." Sebastian said between fits of coughing. Thad offered him a paper towel, which he took graciously.

"It's not mud, Smythe, it's peat, or mòire in Scottish Gaelic. The traditional Scottish whisky uses a peat-heated fire to dry the damp malt, so it has a strong smoky flavour. Talisker smells spicy and smoky. The first taste is salty, like the saline taste of seawater; then it's the spicy taste of pepper, like the waves washing over your tongue; and after the waves fade back, you can taste the sweetness of honey, the astringent flavour of minerals, the spicy smell of oak, the smoky fragrance, and even the bitterness of roasted coffee, it is like the taste of the rocks by the sea standing on the Skye."

"Only you, Wright, only you would like something like this." Sebastian snorted, but Jackson could tell he's actually impressed.

"It's more surprising to me that you don't like it. I mean, your favourite wine is Rioja, which is fickle and intense in its own way. And ginger cognac definitely doesn't get a smooth taste." Logan continued.

"It's quite different. A good traditional Rioja should have a deep and complex aroma of oak. And when you drink it you can taste of leather, pepper, oak, cherry, and even a touch of chocolate. This wine is almost sexy in a sense. Leather and chocolate are very sensual tastes, pepper was also an exotic spice in ancient times. As the wine oxidizes in the air, the taste of the wine is also changing, and it becomes richer and more complex. If you leave it for a while, you could smell cinnamon and other sensual flavours. And when it slides through your mouth, there's almost a burning sensation. When the flavours end, it is clean and neat, leaving only the fragrance of tannins, like a mouthful of fireworks."

"Wow, you guys are really good at this." Reed commented on the other side of Logan, sipping his white wine, "Can you two teach me about it?"

"There's nothing to be taught, Reed." Logan replied, "You just need to try for yourself, and express what you felt firsthand."

"It might be easier to talk with an example." Sebastian smirked, "And no, Van Kamp, your Federweißer won't do. Hmm, let's see. Thad? Would you give Reed here a glass of that Courvoisier I once had? On the rocks, please."

"Classic you, Sebastian, assuming everyone likes cognac." Thad offered Sebastian his own smirk, and Reed a glass of amber liquid.

"Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Exclusif, one of the best cognac in my opinion." Sebastian commented, "Now, take a sniff, and tell me what you smell."

Reed lifted the glass to his nose, took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I smell ginger, but there's also a sweet undertone?"

"You have a good nose here, Reed." Jackson said, "The raw material is relatively unaged in this cognac, so-called _eaux de vie_. It produced smooth and complex spicy notes."

"I thought you don't drink." Sebastian mused.

"Well, that doesn't mean I can't learn." Jackson winked back, "Now you can take a sip. I have no experience for that, so Sebastian would take over, I think."

Reed took a sip as told, his brows slightly furrowed. "Is it... roasted coffee? The first taste is sweet but also woody, almost like a charred taste. And then it's a sudden burst of deep fruity flavours, not quite like orange, maybe apricot?"

"Now, don't be so unsure of yourself. I recognize a good tongue when I see one." Sebastian smirked, "There's no right or wrong when describing details, everyone's tongue is different, those flavours are only yours to taste."

"It physically pains me to say this, but Sebastian's right. You don't need other's opinions in winetasting." Logan wanted to continue, but a chime of his phone stopped him. He checked his messages, and smiled fondly.

"Who's that?" Sebastian asked curiously.

"Who'd you think?" Logan shot back with another question, "Oh, and that reminds me. Jax, I assume you know Haven will hold a concert in Westerville soon."

"Of course, two weeks later, right? Right after Sectionals."

"Yeah, that one. Well, we have tickets, more tickets than Warblers, and maybe the NDs would like to go as well?"

"Are you serious? You have Haven's concert tickets? A whole block of them? I tried to book tickets months in advance but they're all sold out already." Jackson gasped.

"Courtesy of one Mr. Larson."

"Right, I almost forgot. How's your resident superstar doing?"

"Normal. Or you know, whatever is normal for him." Sebastian answered.

"I guess he's not coming to the concert then? Isn't he and Clark Sawyer long time friends?"

"He may, but definitely not with us. He doesn't want to be seen with us, so those paparazzi would have a harder time tracking him down to Dalton." Logan explained.

"But for real, we can't accept those concert tickets, it's just too valuable." Jackson frowned.

"It's not. Julian merely called someone, et voilà, we had those tickets delivered to Dalton a day later." Sebastian snorted.

"He called Clark Sawyer?"

"Probably. We don't want to pry though."

"Okay so if you're fine with us using Julian's connections..."

"Of course we don't mind."

"Then we'll love to go. Seriously guys, thank you so much."

"It's nothing." Logan shrugged.

"Well... If you want to you can pay me back with... something else." Sebastian leered in the meantime.

"Oh, and what do you have in mind, Seb?" Jackson winked, and Sebastian winked back.

"The night is still young, Jax. Life is too short not to live."

* * *

"Now let's welcome, Dalton Academy Warblers!"

The spotlight turned on, the audiences applauded, the background harmony started. _Alea iacta est._

Logan took a deep breath, and started his solo the same as he rehearsed countless times.

( _Logan_ , _**Logan with the Warblers harmonizing**_ )

_I need to know if you were real_   
_Cause I've been known to get it wrong_   
_When the memory comes_   
_I'll say I'm always in the dark_   
_You got me now_

**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_Somewhere out of here_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **

_I can't remember how it went_   
_You looked like everything I wanted_   
_And as you came along_   
_Slowly everything began to change_   
_I got you now_

**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_Somewhere out of here_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **

_That's enough_   
_Just talking about it_   
_I don't mind_   
_I don't mind, no I_   
_Laugh enough_   
_Just dreaming about it_

_I need to know if you were real_   
_I'd hate to think that I'd been fooled again_   
_And as the vision fades_   
_I'll say I was blinded by your eyes_   
_I felt them burn_

**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **   
**_Somewhere out of here_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you_ **   
**_I want to give you back_ **

_Somewhere out of here_   
_You gotta get on out of here_   
_Get on out of here_   
_Get on out of here_   
_Get on out of..._

The song faded into silence, then deafening cheers.

The Warblers thanked the crowd, and started their second song, this time with Theo on lead.

( _Theo,_ **The Warblers,** _**Theo with the Warblers**_ )

**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**   
**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**   
**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**   
**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**

_There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea_   
_You became the light on the dark side of me_   
_Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill_

_But did you know that when it snows_   
_My eyes become large and_   
_The light that you shine can't be seen?_

_Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey_   
_Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah_   
_And now that your rose is in bloom_   
_A light hits the gloom on the grey_

**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**   
**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**

_There is so much a man can tell you_   
_So much he can say_   
_You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain, baby_   
_To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny_   
_Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?_

_But did you know that when it snows_   
_My eyes become large and_   
_The light that you shine can't be seen?_

_Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey_   
_Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah_   
_And now that your rose is in bloom_   
_A light hits the gloom on the grey_

**_I've been kissed by a rose on the grey_ **   
**_I, I've been kissed by a rose on the grey_ **   
**(and if I should fall along the way)**   
**_I've been kissed by a rose on the grey_ **   
**_I, I've been kissed by a rose on the grey_ **

_There is so much a man can tell you_   
_So much he can say_   
_You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain_   
_To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, yeah_   
_Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?_

_But did you know that when it snows_   
_My eyes become large and_   
_The light that you shine can't be seen?_

_Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey_   
_Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah_   
_And now that your rose is in bloom_   
_A light hits the gloom on the grey_   
_**Yes, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey** _   
_**Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah** _   
_**And now that your rose is in bloom** _   
_**A light hits the gloom on the grey** _

**Ba-ya-ya, ba-da-da-da-da-da, ba-ya-ya**

_Now that your rose is in bloom_   
_A light hits the gloom on the grey_

Their set ended in thunderous applause from the audience. The crowd clearly loved them, the judges probably loved them as well.

Logan knew they could win, but somehow for him it's not about winning anymore, at least not for now.

They're as perfect as ever, but he's also more unsure than ever.

* * *

"And the winner is... The Warblers!"

Reed thought he would be excited to know they won, but instead he felt nothing. That terrified him a bit.

Maybe when you're the national champion Sectionals just stopped being exciting. That makes sense.

But they won, they're going to Regionals, and then maybe to Nationals again. How can he not be happy? He remembered, a year and a lifetime ago, he was exhilarated to hear the very same news.

Logan, as the council head, collected their first-place trophy. That grin on his face, a bit too perfect to be genuine, suddenly pissed Reed off.

As if someone died and named him the king!

Reed didn't like Logan, that much is true, but he never hated him as well.

What happened?

A small gasp brought his wandering thoughts back, as the Warblers returned to their green room.

A man in his twenty's, dressed in suit and tie, stood in the centre of the room, muttered to himself in French. As soon as he saw the group entering, he set his coffee cup down, and his eyes slightly narrowed.

Reed took in the man's features, his eyes scanning across his brown hair, olive-green eyes, slightly pointy chin, and most impressively his height, taller than Sebastian even.

Wait. Sebastian.

He glanced to his left, where stood Sebastian Smythe, with his brown hair, olive-green eyes, even pointier chin and lean body. He's trembling, his face flushed and his teeth gritted.

And then it hit him.

"Sebastian." Reginald Smythe said.

* * *

"Did you just growled, Sebastian?"

"None of your business." Sebastian growled back.

"Alright, if you say so." Jeff rolled his eyes and turned his attention back towards Reed, "We understand it's a family matter but are you sure you can't come, Reed? I mean, it's Haven we're talking about."

"I'm sorry, but that family gathering really can't be put off. I mean, my brother is in town, and we really don't want to miss this chance. Maybe you can give my ticket to... uh... Julian instead?"

"Yeah, and you do realize that they'll recognise me as soon as I show my face, right? Not exactly a part of my plan." Said actor scoffed.

Jeff decided there must be someone or something pissed their resident superstar off. He's more sarcastic recently, hardly paying any attention to his surroundings, and sometimes visibly upset.

"Right. Then how about... Sebastian's brother?" Nick suggested.

"That's a good idea, actually." Reed stood up and approached Reginald, who's currently in a strange glaring competition against Sebastian.

"Thank you, I'd love to go." Reginald replied warmly at Reed's proposal.

"Likes hell you are!" Sebastian snarled at the same time.

"Excuse me? How comes you are the one who decides where am I going?" Reginald glared at his brother.

"Just like how you decide everything I am doing." Sebastian shot back with malice in his eyes.

"Just be happy it's not our father who dictates your life." Reginald's eyes darkened.

"Really, then please explain why neither father nor you even tried to control Alphonse like how you control me."

"Because at least he doesn't need me to clean up their messes."

"Just because I did that one thing wrong," Sebastian spared a glance at Julian, who frowned back at him, "You can ship me off to America against my wish?"

The Warblers, shell shocked, observed the verbal sparring unfold in front of their eyes. They always thought Sebastian's the one who got his way with words, but Reginald's by no mean the weaker.

"No, but you gave up all alternatives yourself and leave us with no other choice..."

"There's always another choice, you just never want to think about it!" Sebastian cut his brother off harshly.

"What do you wish me to do? I have my own life, my own work, taking care of Al, and non of that revolves around you. I can't help you more than you help yourself."

"And why would you even think I need anyone's help?

"Because you just keep everything to yourself, foolishly believing that everything happened will just pass you by somehow, that you get to be the smirking spectator of the world."

Jeff's eyes darted around the room. Apparently Julian already slipped away unnoticed, must be his lifelong experience in escaping paparazzi. The other Warblers were all too shocked or too interested to move, Theo was on his date two hours away, Logan was too immersed in his book to care, and Jeff thought he must do something.

"Because you never even want to talk! All you do is yelling at me whenever you think I'm wrong!" Sebastian hissed furiously. Okay, this ends now—

"Stop!" He yelled and physically placed himself between the brothers, and those two actually stopped their verbal tournament. Great, Jeff, you did it... "Why don't you sing about it?"

Wait? What? Jeffery Sterling, what in the name of Wesley Montgomery are you talking about?

"I mean," He flushed slightly as the whole room focused their attention on him, "You obviously aren't talking rationally, and you do need a way to express how you feel..."

"Forgive me for being blunt, but that's ridiculous." Logan commented from the far side of the commons, his eyes never left the musical theory textbook he's reading.

"No, actually, Jeffery is right." Sebastian replied, still glaring at his brother, "Since it's clear you have no interest in talking, singing is an acceptable alternative to punching."

"If you really want to fight, we have a jousting list and a fencing strip not far away from here."

"Logan, stop encouraging them!" Nick hissed, "We don't need them to fight physically!"

What happened to everybody? We've been constantly on edge for days. Jeff's thought was disturbed by the Smythe brothers' singing.

( _Sebastian_ , **Reginald** , **_both_** )

_What is this feeling_   
_So sudden and new?_   
_What is this feeling?_   
_Fervid as a flame_   
_Does it have a name?_   
_Yes!_   
_Loathing_   
_Unadulterated loathing_

**I don't even know what I'm reading**   
**I don't even know what trick I ought to try**

_Let's just say, I loathe it all!_   
_Every little trait, however small_   
_Makes my very flesh begin to crawl_   
_With simple utter loathing_   
_There's a strange exhilaration_   
_In such total detestation_   
_It's so pure! So strong!_   
_Though I do admit it came on fast_   
_Still I do believe that it can last_   
_And I will be loathing_   
_Loathing you_   
_My whole life long!_

**No good deed goes unpunished**   
**No act of charity goes unresented**   
**No good deed goes unpunished**   
**That's my new creed**   
**My road of good intentions**   
**Led where such roads always lead**   
**No good deed**   
**Goes unpunished**

_Unusually and exceedingly peculiar_   
_And altogether quite impossible to describe_   
_I'm wicked through and through_

**Sebastiane!**

_One question haunts and hurts_   
_Too much, too much to mention_   
_Was I really seeking good_   
_Or just seeking attention?_   
_If that's all good deeds are_   
_Maybe that's the reason why_   
_That's one more disaster_   
_I can add to my generous supply?_

**No good deed goes unpunished**   
**All helpful urges should be circumvented**   
**No good deed goes unpunished**   
**Sure, I meant well**   
**Well, look at what well-meant did**

_What is this feeling_   
_So sudden and new?_   
_I felt the moment_   
_I laid eyes on you_   
_My pulse is rushing_   
_My head is reeling_   
_Oh, what is this feeling?_

**All right, enough**   
**So be it, so be it then**   
**For I know that's how you'd want me to respond**

_There's a strange exhilaration_   
_In such total detestation_   
_It's so pure, so strong!_

_**No good deed will I do again!** _

The brothers are now facing each other, panting heavily, but their glares were still as strong.

A brief moment of silence later, Sebastian stormed out of the commons, while Reginald sat back down with an angry huff.

"That went well." Logan commented sarcastically.

* * *

"Where are the Warblers? Can you see them?" Lydia said as they entered Westerville stadium, already packed with excited fans, and they can see the band themselves getting ready on the stage in the centre of the field.

"Who cares? They probably ditched us already." Erica snorts.

"Erica, no one on this planet would miss a live concert of Haven. Much less for a prank." 

"Yeah, me, for one, would literally kill to see them in live." Jackson said as he scanned the seating plan, "Our place is down there, close to the stage."

"Oh, and Theo texted me, saying we won't be sitting together, they're sitting on the other side of the stage." Stiles looked up from his phone.

"Let's go and sit down, then. " Allison suggested, "The concert would start soon."

"I really hope Raven would rip his pants off again." Danny said wistfully as they were walking to their seats, the girls and gays nodded enthusiastically at his words.

"Wait a sec, guys, I'm a bit lost here. I mean, I'm new to this all." Scott suddenly said, startling them all.

"You never heard of Haven, Scotty?" Stiles asked in aghast.

"Of course I have! And I listened to their songs too, but I never remembered who is who." Scott defended himself hastily.

"So, that very tall guy with dark blond hair is Clark Sawyer. Someone called him 'The last angel in the city of angels'. You probably remembered him from _Something Damaged_ , since he's also a regular guest star there." Jackson started, pointed at the stage, not too far away from their seats. Thank Logan and his secret connection.

"The redhead drummer is Michael Collins." Lydia added, "The guy with long chestnut hair is the bassist, Corey Pearson. He sings sometimes as well."

"The one with red streaks in his hair, standing behind the keyboard, that's Raven Woods, their lead vocalist." Aiden continued.

As they speak, the light dimmed and the crowd roared as Clark, Raven and another guy with shining blond hair stepped forward with microphones in their hands, and Michael started their first song with a roll of drums.

"Who is the third guy? The one you haven't introduced yet?" Scott whispered as the intro part started.

"It's Sinclair Langdon, the lead guitarist. We're lucky today. He has a sweet voice, but really doesn't sing as much as he should." Isaac whispered back.

On the stage, Clark sang his first lines, marking the start of their concert.

( **Clark Sawyer** , _Raven Woods_ , Sinclair Langdon)

**Roll up! Roll up for the magical mystery tour!**   
**Step right this way!**

**Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour**  
 **Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour**   
**Roll up** _(and that's an invitation)_ **, roll up for the mystery tour**  
 **Roll up** _(to make a reservation)_ **, roll up for the mystery tour**

**The magical mystery tour is waiting to take you away**   
**Waiting to take you away**

_**Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour** _  
_**Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour** _  
_**Roll up**_ (we've got everything you need) _ **, roll up for the mystery tour**_  
 _ **Roll up**_ (satisfaction guaranteed) _ **, roll up for the mystery tour**_

**The magical mystery tour is hoping to take you away**   
**Hoping to take you away**   
_**A mystery trip** _

_Aaaah... the magical mystery tour_   
_Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour_   
_Roll up_ **(and that's an invitation)** _, roll up for the mystery tour_  
_Roll up_ **(to make a reservation)** _, roll up for the mystery tour_

_**The magical mystery tour is coming to take you away** _   
_**Coming to take you away** _   
_**The magical mystery tour is dying to take you away** _   
_**Dying to take you away, take you today** _

"Good evening, Westerville!" Raven greeted the enthusiastic crowd yelling the band's name.

The concert went on along with the fanatic yelling, screaming and cheering of the fans. The songs were a healthy mixture of acoustic covers of pop songs, with Clark singing lead, and original songs with rock styles, mostly lead by Raven, and the others also have a verse or two.

Haven's even more fantastic in live action. Jackson decided. And they all had a great night. Song after song, he and Danny sang along with the greatest hits and the newest songs, sometimes the others would join them as well.

After more than a dozen songs, the five members came forth and thanked the fans again. 

"As for the last song today..." Raven paused as the audience expressed their dismay, "We have a special guest for you!"

Clark nodded and continued amidst the roars of excitement, "We have the fortune of collaborating with him in the past, and he's a dear friend to us all. I'm especially lucky to have worked with him on _Something Damaged_."

"They're calling in Cameron Pike, or Nathan Miller!" Lydia stage-whispered into Jackson's ear.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Julian Larson-Armstrong!"

"What?!" Jackson almost gasped, "Julian Larson?"

"They never collab... Wait, they did! Not in those Haven's albums, but in Julian Larson's album, he sung a quartet with Clark, Raven and Sinclair." Lydia's eyes widened, "This concert is truly a once in a lifetime experience now."

"Hey Jules!" On the stage, meanwhile, Raven greeted warmly as the actor seemingly appeared out of thin air besides Clark.

"They know each other well, it seems." Ethan said in a hushed whisper.

" _Something Damaged_." Allison replied simply, her eyes glued to the stage, where the famous actor greeted the band with friendly banter.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're here for a song, guys." Sinclair tapped the actor on his shoulder, stopping his playful joking with Raven.

A soft piano tune started to play from the loudspeakers, soon joined by Sinclair's guitar.

Clark threw a smile at his friend, and started the song, Julian soon joining him.

( **Clark** , _Reed_ , Julian)

**Say something, I'm giving up on you**   
**I'll be the one, if you want me to**   
**Anywhere, I would've followed you**   
**Say something, I'm giving up on you**

**And I am feeling so small**   
**It was over my head** (over my head)  
**I know nothing at all**

**And I will stumble and fall**   
**I'm still learning to love**   
**Just starting to crawl**

**Say something, I'm giving up on you**   
**I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you**   
**Anywhere, I would've followed you**   
**Say something, I'm giving up on you**

As the song progressed, a new short figure appeared on the stage. He took over the song effortlessly as he stepped into the spotlight, revealing his wild blond curls. Surprised gasps could be heard throughout the stadium.

"Is he... a Warbler? He looks familiar." Ethan rasped, his voice strained by surprise.

"Yes. Reed, Reed Van Kamp." Stiles confirmed, barely able to conceal his own shock.

_Unconditional, unconditionally_   
_I will love you unconditionally_   
**(Say something, I'm giving up on you)**   
_There is no fear now_   
_Let go and just be free_   
_I will love you unconditionally_   
**(I'll be the one, if you want me to)**

**So wake me up when it's all over**   
_When I'm wiser and I'm older_   
All this time I was finding myself   
_**And I didn't know I was lost**_

Even if some audiences were wary about a new performer, they're all cheering as Reed belted out the high notes flawlessly.

**Say something, I'm giving up on you**   
_(Unconditional, unconditionally)_   
(Wake me up)   
_(I will love you unconditionally)_   
**I'll be the one, if you want me to**

**_So open up your heart and just let it begin_ **  
**_Open up your heart and just let it begin_ **  
**_Open up your heart and just let it begin_ **  
**_Open up your heart_** (Wake me up)

**Say something**   
_Let go and just be free_   
_I will love you_   
** Say something **   
_**Wake me up** _

"Jules, as perfect as always, we should duet more, you know."

"As you wish, Clark. Although I think you should introduce the other special guest as well." Julian replied with his perfect camera smile.

"Right, about that." Clark then turned towards Reed, who was being hugged by other band members, "Well, say hello to Westerville, my little brother."

* * *

"Reed Van Kamp!!" Jeff's yell was deafening, "You never told us your famous brother is Clark Sawyer!"

"And when you ask me for a mash-up idea I never thought it would be sung by Clark Sawyer AND Julian Larson!" Nick followed closely behind his boyfriend. Several Warblers, namely Logan, Niff, Jon, Bailey and Sebastian somehow managed to barge into the green room as the band and Julian were performing their respective encores.

"Step-brothers! We're step-brothers, like my dad married his mom, and since I live with my mom, I don't even get to see him a lot." Reed defended himself amidst his frantic touches of laughter.

"You know we won't see you differently if you told us, right? And we won't tell any other if you don't want us to." Logan said.

"I know, but it's not just my secret, it's Clark's as well. He's always so busy that we never actually talked about this, so I just keep silent."

"Wait. Reed, you told us your brother dated Julian." Bailey suddenly said, "And now we know who your brother is..."

"Eh, I might be in trouble, again." Reed muttered to himself.

"Did they date when they were both a part of _Something Damaged_ cast?" Jeff asked curiously.

"We did." Two voice chorused behind them, making Reed actually jump into the air.

Julian Larson glared at them, with his hand on Clark Sawyer's waist, and Clark's arm around his shoulders.

"And Reed..." Clark said with a frown, but his eyes glinted with amusement.

"Sorry, Clarkie, I just wanted them to stop gossiping about Julian, and I just accidentally rattled that out. I didn't mean to reveal your relationship." Reed said hastily, "Besides, the principal had all Warblers swear to respect Julian's privacy, so we won't tell anyone, for real this time."

Clark nodded in understanding, while Julian turned his glare at Sebastian.

"What did I do?" Sebastian frowned.

Julian didn't get a chance to answer however, as the rest of the band entered the room.

"Hey, you must be Reed's friends, the Warblers, right? Raven Woods, but I think you know that already." Raven greeted them warmly, "Clark made us watching your performances, I have to say you guys are great."

"Wow, thank you so much." Sebastian said, excitement evident in his voice, "I'm Sebastian Smythe."

"I heard of you! Julian said you're his tour guide in Paris." Michael cut him off, but then grimaced in embarrassment, "Sorry, please continue."

Sebastian then introduced the others, and also mentioned the rest of the group waiting outside with the NDs.

"And why are you glaring at your friend, Jules?" Sinclair asked, and Julian swiftly withdrew his glare and put on a sweet and innocent smile.

"Reed somehow accidentally told his friends about me and Julian." Clark said, faking a glare at the Warblers.

"Wait a minute here, weren't you two public already?" Michael asked in confusion, "We definitely read about you, somewhere."

"No, Mike, that was... during that 'Touring Tumblr slash fics' thing." Raven almost facepalmed, "You forgot those fics of you bottoming?"

"Not when Reed and his friends are here!" Michael buried his face into a couch pillow and screamed into it, "They don't need to know the size of Clark's..." And then Sinclair laughed so loud that no one heard what he said next.

"Oh, that time when you caused panic across the fandom?" Julian smirked, "Pity, you rid me of one of my favourite recreations."

"You read our fanfics?!" Sinclair exclaimed frantically, "Clark, he reads our fanfics! Those smuts about you two!"

"Actually, Sin, we used to read those together."

Michael opened his mouth for a shocked cry, but closed it when his phone chimed. He frowned and checked the message, only to have his frown deepened. "Hey, it's happy to meet all of you, but we have to get going. We have to meet our manager soon. In fact, Cor is already with her as we speak."

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"We probably gave our manager an aneurysm. She thought Reed's here for moral support only and his part would be sung by me." Raven said.

"To be fair, she assumed that herself, I just marked his solo part with an R, which stands for Reed." Clark replied.

"Which could also stand for Raven." Sinclair pointed out smugly.

"You're not helping, Sin." Clark groaned in response.

"Reed, uh, you probably would want to come with us. We got the best food as always! Haven tradition, we live for food, you know, we're probably French. Hey, your friends can come as well." Raven smiled nervously.

"Ray's lying. He wants you to be there so our manager can't actually kill us, not with an eyewitness present." Clark fake-whispered to Reed, whole laughed.

"Okay, but I want sushi for dinner. Oh, and Raven? We do have two real Parisians in our party for you to appease."

* * *

Theo was slipping away, he knew that himself.

He've thrown himself into the purgatory, and he's not nearly strong enough to break his chains into bits.

He's surprised to find Dwight here in his usual hideout.

Then he learned about Alan Houston.

He listened quietly as Dwight told him about the Serendipity Hill Hunters, about their mutual interests in Supernatural, about his fondest memories: when they would practice shooting with crossbows under the bright Floridan sun.

About Alan's demise. A stranger killed him when he wandered out alone for hunting, when Dwight was away, a single blow on his head and the boy never got a chance to see his eighth birthday, exactly seven years ago.

It took them three days to find the body alone, when Dwight used a pendulum to locate his brother. And they never found the murderer.

"My sister died as well." Theo admitted softly, "It's different. But I think I know a bit about what you're feeling.

So for the third time in his life, he recounted his tales.

It hurts just like when he told Logan, like when he told Stiles. It hurts so much that he wanted to rip his heart—no, Tara's heart—out.

"Did you ever tried to bring her back?"

Yes. I'll kill, hell, even destroy the world to do that. But the world doesn't work that way.

"I tried to bring Alan back." Dwight continued, not really waiting for an answer, "But I guess I just knew, in the back of my mind, that it wasn't going to work, he really wasn’t going to come back."

"And the hurt won't leave us as well." Theo added softly.

"No one told me it'll be this hard to grow up."

Theo wanted to say something, but what can he even say?

 _Haec olim meminisse iuvabit._ One day, it'll help to remember even these.

"I hope you'll be happy again, Dwight." He said instead and stood up, leaving Dwight to grieve alone.

"And I hope you'll feel at peace again." Dwight said after him.

And that's a peace they both have yet to find. Theo thought.

* * *

"Yeah, of course, Clark, I'll look out for him. I'll visit you during Christmas. Okay, goodbye, Clark." Julian hang up with a grin. He pushed his dorm room door open, ready to get his dinner. Nick said earlier that he would cook lamb for dinner.

Instead he found Logan, Sebastian and Reed outside his room. Logan's brows were knit together, Sebastian was pacing restlessly and biting his lower lip, and Reed looked worried and scared.

"What happened?"

"Jules... There's something you must see." Logan's voice was grim.

Probably something bad. Julian thought as he mindlessly followed the other boys to the front door.

I swear, if it's paparazzi again...

But what he saw was nothing like paparazzi. In fact, he even hoped it's paparazzi instead. A shocked gasp escaped his lips before he can put himself back together. Sebastian wrapped his arms around his trembling shoulder, as the group stared, in different states of fear and anxiety.

And there it is, lying on the porch was his photograph on the concert stage, soaked wet with crimson liquid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used in this chapter:  
> Les Temps Des Cathédrales from Notre Dame De Paris  
> In My Head by Jason Derulo  
> Give You Back by Vertical Horizon  
> Kiss From A Rose by Seal  
> What's This Feeling/No Good Deed from Wicked/Wicked  
> Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles  
> Say Something/Unconditionally/Wake Me Up by A Great Big World/Katy Perry/Avicii (Arranged by Telly Leung)

**Author's Note:**

> Here's an explanation of the AU in this series:  
> For TW canon, the main characters and the lacrosse team settings are kept, also a number of references exist, but no one is considered supernatural, and their ages is tweaked a bit.  
> For Glee canon, the location settings and the main plotline events remain, but the main characters never existed with the possible exception of Blaine.  
> For CP's Dalton canon, that's a bit complicated: in general, the canon divergent point is when the legacies were in Dalton a prank between Windsor and Stuart went wrong and caused the death of a Warbler. After that the school board dissolved the houses. A number of families believe Dalton to be less prestigious after the incident, most notably the Andersons, the Brightmans and to a lesser extent, the Larsons. While others like the Wrights, the Van Kamps and the Smythes doesn't care much. Also this allowed some of the less wealthy students to study in Dalton via scholarships. And for the individual characters: Logan, being constantly tortured by the Brightman twins during junior high, is more ambitious and overachieving, yet more willing to take his medication than his canon counterpart, although his relationship with his family is even more strained. Reed is slightly less clumsy but still tends to trip over himself. Sebastian and Julian still met in Paris and they had an affair like in canon, during which Julian heard about Dalton from Sebastian. Derek Seigerson, because of his parents' divorce, now become Jackson Whittemore, following his mother's surname. Dwight currently attends another school close by, but not Dalton. Finally for the surnames of Wes, David, Thad, Nick and Jeff, it's just a personal preference, but essentially they're different people from their namesakes in Dalton canon.


End file.
